


Under the Same Skies

by kriscasso



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - MAMA (Music Video), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 13:26:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8403391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kriscasso/pseuds/kriscasso
Summary: The more things change, the more they stay the same.





	1. Chapter 1

Chanyeol stares out the window of his room where it faces towards the sea. A gust of wind blows his way, the taste of brine is left on his tongue. He likes days like this when the weather is agreeable, his tutors are away, and his father is burdened with petitions from the citizens. He is able to relax and enjoy the sun’s rays caressing his face.

For the most part, he adores his life as the Prince of the Kingdom of Fire. Living in its capital, Ignis, means he can have first dibs on the fresh seafood plucked from the ocean since the city is located right on the shores. The rest of the cities lie inland where the heat is sweltering, but the assortment of fruit is plenty.

As much as he loves home, the other three kingdoms have wonderful things to offer. Sometimes he wishes he lived high up on the mountains in the Kingdom of Air because it’s a neverending winter wonderland there. When his father brought him up there one year, he begged to live on the outskirts of the capital in his own little igloo. Then there’s the Kingdom of Water where the greenery thrives and the air smells so sweet. Everyone agrees it’s the most beautiful place on earth with its vast lakes and massive flower fields. The place is picturesque which might explain why the water king is always so relaxed. And finally there is the Kingdom of Earth, home to the world’s best healers and messengers. Their lands may not look like paradise, but they have plenty to offer when it comes to intellect. Scholars from the three other kingdoms flock to Terra, the capital, to learn as much as they can.

Being a prince isn’t so glamorous as most people would like to think. The duties the job entails makes the perks less desirable. Chanyeol always has to wake up early in the morning to get in some riding practice on his steed, right after which, he is rushed off to meet with several tutors. Once he thinks he’s free to go, his father reels him into his private chambers to learn the art of war. The four kingdoms across the lands have been under a peace treaty for decades now, yet his father says one never knows where trouble may brew.

“I can just burn everyone up with one fell swoop of my hand,” Chanyeol always says and prepares to show his father a demonstration.

“And what if you encounter a hydrokinetic or a chronokinetic? You will have your head off within seconds. You can’t always depend on your powers to save you,” his father will retort and bend Chanyeol’s arm behind his back.

Chanyeol has never met anyone who amazed him with their powers because he grew up watching performers from all over the lands show off their talents. No matter what powers they held, Chanyeol was bored by the end of the show. That is until he met Jongin.

They met when they were children. His father had invited the earth king and his son to their castle because Chanyeol’s pyrokinesis had finally kicked in and he was running amok. Jongin was supposed to be there to show Chanyeol that keeping one’s powers under control was possible since Chanyeol had ignored all the lessons from his teachers.

Chanyeol didn’t get along at all with Jongin at first because the boy was younger and never demonstrated his powers. What was the point of having powers if you never used them?

“What the hell can you even do? Fly? Heal? Summon tidal waves?” he would ask the boy everyday, but unfortunately, Jongin was too shy to ever answer.

Chanyeol got to find out one day when he accidentally threw a ball of flames in Jongin’s direction and the boy didn’t have enough time to run away. He was shocked to see the boy disappear before his very eyes and almost cried because he thought he had scorched his guest into smithereens.

“And that’s why you need to listen to your teachers or else you’ll set this whole place on fire!” Jongin cried out from behind him.

“H-how did you do that?” Chanyeol asked, tears welling up in his eyes. He was glad that Jongin wasn’t dead and terrified at the same time because what the hell just happened?

“If you just paid more attention, you’d know the current ruling family in Terra has the power of teleportation,” Jongin deadpanned.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes to show his disinterest, but deep inside he wanted to ask Jongin all sorts of questions like how he had a strong grasp on his powers at such a young age and if he could teleport with other people.

It took Chanyeol a few days to get over his arrogance and shockingly, Jongin opened up. The boy was more than willing to answer all his questions. Chanyeol also got to find out the reason Jongin was always so quiet: he was merely observing the fire prince.

“Figure your enemy out first before you attack.”

“What the hell? I thought there was some stupid peace treaty between the four kingdoms.”

“I was only joking!”

After that, the two princes quickly became friends and played childish games for the rest of the younger boy’s stay. They enjoyed each other’s company as they ran around the royal gardens and hid in desolate rooms scattered about the castle. The staff grew irritated with the boys scurrying around like mice, but they never stopped them because seeing their dearest prince with a wide grin on his face was a rare sight.

“I’ll really miss you, Chanyeol,” Jongin said when the boy and his father were ready to leave.

“Promise you’ll come back soon?” Chanyeol asked, knowing soon was going to be at least a year from now.

“I promise.” 

The boys hugged it out, clutching onto each other’s robes for dear life. Their fathers had to tear them apart after five drawn out minutes. Chanyeol cried as he watched a fussy Jongin disappear into a wooden carriage.

The moment after Jongin’s departure, Chanyeol was completely bored out of his mind without his new friend around. None of the other children in the castle could replace the space the boy had left behind. Even though Jongin wasn’t around to keep Chanyeol sane, the fire prince was calm as he went about with his lessons. His teachers and father were impressed to see the change in the boy. Secretly, Chanyeol wanted to be on his best behavior because he wanted to be just like Jongin, serene and disciplined.

“You need at least two people to play hide-n-seek,” a voice said next to him under the bed one day when Chanyeol wanted to be left alone.

Chanyeol panicked and bumped his head against the wooden frame in a frenzy, screaming his head off for help. A hand came over his mouth and his heart began to beat erratically. This was end of his career as a prince until the voice spoke again.

“Shhhh!! It’s me, Jongin.”

When his heartbeat calmed down a bit, he told the stranger to come out from under the bed since he didn’t trust his abilities just yet to bring forth a wisp of fire. His eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Jongin was really there in the flesh. He pinched the boy’s cheeks to confirm he was real and squealed out in glee.

“But how? You’re still young and travelling long distances can wear you out!” Chanyeol didn’t want Jongin using up all his energy just to visit him because he cared more about the boy’s well-being than his own loneliness. After only a week of lessons, he learned that exhausting one’s powers could lead to serious injuries, possibly permanent.

“I’m a prodigy,” Jongin gloated. “How else do you think I managed to get away from your attempt at murder last week? It’s hard for most kids my age to even move a couple feet and if they do succeed, it takes a lot of concentration.”

“O-oh. Does this mean I’ll get to see you everyday then?” The fire prince was delighted by the thought of seeing Jongin more often.

“Not everyday. Maybe once in awhile. Like you said, I’m still young. I don’t have a huge energy reserve so coming here really kicked my butt, but I’ll be able to get back home after I build the biggest tower,” Jongin challenged.

“No way. I’m taller than you!” Chanyeol shouted, yet he still ran over to his block set to get started just in case Jongin managed to find some secret method.

Ever since that day, Jongin made it a habit to stop by Chanyeol’s place at least once a week. They spent most of their childhoods waiting to see the other prince again and playing foolish games together. Some days they had to rush because Chanyeol had an extra lesson to attend to, or Jongin knew his father would be checking up on him. Nonetheless, they found time for each other, sneaking around just so they could be with their best friend.

As they grew into handsome young men, tensions grew between them because Jongin was getting better at harnessing his powers while Chanyeol could barely keep the flames stable in the palm of his hands. Chanyeol resented Jongin’s ever growing progress and didn’t blame the boy for making his visits less frequent than before. Eventually they stopped altogether. It confused Chanyeol because he didn’t think his petty feelings towards Jongin could affect him so much.

He apologized profusely for being an ass when the boy returned a month later and promised to be a better friend. Jongin simply pulled him in for a chaste kiss on the lips.

“What the hell?” Chanyeol asked, staggering back and nearly losing his balance. He didn’t know much about intimacy, but he understood people only shared kisses with those they liked.

“I-I’m sorry.” Jongin looked at him with wide eyes.

Chanyeol could tell Jongin was ready to go with the way his posture turned rigid and quickly grabbed a hold of his shirt. The earth felt like it was shifting beneath his feet and his head was absolutely dizzy. He was prepared to vomit all over his floors due to motion sickness, but when he looked down, they weren’t his floors.

“What the hell, Chanyeol? You shouldn’t be here!” Jongin hissed as if Chanyeol could go back home in the blink of an eye.

“Yeah, I can’t come and go as easily as you, but I can bake you the loveliest pie you’ve ever feasted on.”

Jongin shook his head as he paced around his room back and forth, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now. He was too weak from traveling back from Ignis so soon after arriving and needed to wait a bit for his energy to recharge.

“God, you’re such an idiot. Just stay here while I go find a guard to bribe to take you back.” Yet again, Chanyeol found himself clinging onto Jongin and stopping him from leaving the room.

“Why do you want me to leave so badly? From what I can tell, you actually like me.”

“I do… but you obviously don’t like me back, so it’s best if you go home as soon as possible. I can’t handle having you around me.”

Chanyeol now understood why Jongin stopped visiting him for that short period of time. The boy must have been battling his feelings and mistaken Chanyeol’s jealousy for hostility. To be honest, he kind of liked Jongin back because he was the coolest playmate ever and could put up with Chanyeol’s tantrums.

“And I’m the idiot?” He leaned down and kissed Jongin like he meant it. He wanted to erase any doubt left in Jongin’s mind with each swipe of his tongue.

It wasn’t that hard to break down the walls the young prince had built around him as he succumbed to Chanyeol’s gentle touches and heated kisses.

Chanyeol didn’t go home until later in the evening that day and got in trouble for running off like a fool.

The visits became a permanent part of their lives as they grew closer to each other and instead of wrestling and riding horses, they found another way to entertain themselves.

 

Chanyeol is now a young man of twenty-four. He hasn’t changed much since his childhood, except now he can actually control his powers well and gets to call Jongin the love of his life.

“Your Grace, your father requests your presence immediately in his private chambers,” a servant relays.

Chanyeol had just gotten up and was about to break his fast, so leaving his untouched meal behind makes him grumpy. He is puzzled by the summons, wondering what he did wrong this time as he traverses the hallways and stairs. He greets the guards standing by the doors and hesitantly walks inside. His father is seated by the fireplace with a sheet of parchment paper lying on his lap. The prince can’t make out what’s written on the document, but it must be important since his father wears a solemn expression on his face.

“Father, you have asked for me?”

“Yes, son. Please take a seat,” his father says and gestures towards the velvet upholstered chair across from him.

Chanyeol does as he is told and tries to sneak glances at the paper as he waits, trying to decipher the message. The handwriting is too messy for him to read, unfortunately, but his eyes notice the broken seal on the floor. The wax is colored a sea green Chanyeol would recognize anywhere.

“In a few weeks, the Kingdom of Earth will be celebrating a most joyous day. Their prince is getting married,” his father announces.

Chanyeol’s heart stops beating. Blood drains from his face and his knuckles turn white from the way he clutches onto the edge of his seat.

“To whom?” Chanyeol dreads the answer.

“Prince Joonmyun from the Kingdom of Water.” The words crush the fire prince like a deadweight.

He can’t imagine why Jongin never mentioned Joonmyun or the upcoming wedding during any of his visits. The fact that he had to find out through his father first hurts so much. Every time Jongin came over, he wonders if the young prince thought to ever tell him.

“What’s with the sorrow look on your face? Nuptials usually make people happy.”

Chanyeol can’t be happy now, though. He’s going to lose the man he loves soon and said man hasn’t bothered to even tell him. Does this mean Jongin never loved him or did he think Chanyeol would never find out? What foolish thoughts.

“I must pardon myself, father. I’m feeling rather unwell.” Chanyeol smiles sadly at his father as he gets up, but the man stops him with a wave of his hand.

“Not before I tell you something else. I won’t be able to attend the wedding because I have other prearranged duties to handle, so you’ll have to go in my stead. I expect you to be on your best behavior, Chanyeol, because you represent an entire kingdom and a family name.” Chanyeol feels his knees growing weak. “Now go. I hope you feel better soon because you’re set to leave by the end of the week. I know you like to explore, so I’ve given you time to do so before the big event.”

It’s a miracle Chanyeol manages to make his way back to his rooms — with the help of a servant. He breaks down before he can reach his bed because the realization rests heavy on his weak and fragile heart. There are a plethora of questions swirling around his mind. Never in all his life has he questioned Jongin’s loyalty and being, but now all of a sudden he feels like he doesn’t know the man at all. The fond memories they shared together as children, budding teenagers, and now young men meant nothing to his lover, did they?

Despite being a pyrokinetic, all the warmth seeps out of Chanyeol’s being as he lays on the carpeted floor in a fetal position. He is reduced to nothing, a hollow shell of his former self. Jongin was his entire world, and now it seems like he’s been kicked out of orbit.

 

The castle is in a flurry as it prepares for Chanyeol’s departure. Clothing, food, and presents must be packed up for the long journey ahead of him. The Kingdom of Earth is on the opposite side of the continent, so his party must face the brutal deserts, unruly jungles, and mountainous terrain to reach their destination. Times like this make the prince wish he had the power to teleport.

Chanyeol is usually enthusiastic about trips to foreign lands, but the reason for this one puts a damper on his mood. He doesn’t help the maids gather his things, nor does he go down to the kitchens to ask for an extra basket of bread for himself. He merely stands on the sidelines, moping around as everyone else scurries from one end of the castle to the other. Whenever someone asks him for his opinion, he waves them off, not caring if his riding boots are shined or if there’s enough jewels encrusted into his belt.

Tonight Jongin is supposed to visit, but the fire prince is unsure if he wants the man to come. He doesn’t know what his reaction will be like once they are face to face. The pent up anger and confusion nag him to give Jongin a piece of his mind and his heart that weeps in agony begs him to try to make amends.

“Prince Chanyeol, how many —”

“Whatever you think is appropriate. I have a migraine,” he lies and walks away from the atrium.

Dinner is aggravating. Chanyeol has to sit through a long speech his father has prepared ahead of time for him. It mostly consists of reasons why he needs to stay on the earth king’s good side and things he isn’t allowed to do while away. The fire prince knows everything before his father even begins to speak because he learned how to be a diplomat as a young child. Lessons were beat into his brain before he was allowed to go out and play.

Chanyeol excuses himself the moment his father is done speaking and nearly has a heart attack when he sees Jongin standing by the bay window in his room. This isn’t the first time his lover has caught him off guard, but Chanyeol had hoped he would have a little more time to sort through his feelings.

“Jongin…,” he says coldly.

Jongin’s brows furrow, unused to the ice in Chanyeol’s voice and stands in place just to be safe. “Are you having a bad day?”

Chanyeol can’t help but laugh at Jongin’s obliviousness of the situation before them and slumps against the nearest wall for balance. He’s never known Jongin to be a fool. Once he wipes away the tears, he shakes his head.

“What is it then?” Jongin takes a chance and steps forward so he can wrap his arms around Chanyeol. It scares him when the latter doesn’t pull him in any further.

“Don’t tell me your father is ill, please.”

The fire prince keeps up the silence as he contemplates whether or not to push Jongin away from him. He’s disgusted by how easily Jongin can pretend everything is okay between them and wonders what happened to the man he fell in love with, if he even existed in the first place.

“Chanyeol, what’s going on with you? You’re always so happy to see me and all of a sudden you’re as heartless as a tyrant.” Jongin cradles Chanyeol’s face in his hands, searching his eyes for some answer behind the change in behavior.

Chanyeol doesn’t have it in him to laugh again because he’s starting to grow tired of his lover’s act.

“Do you want to know what my father informed me of just the other day?”

“What?” the young prince asks as if he doesn’t know the answer already.

“You’re getting married.” The words feel like lead on Chanyeol’s tongue.

Jongin drops his hands to his side and looks down on the floor, unable to meet Chanyeol’s eyes anymore. He is ashamed that the news had to arise like this, but he didn’t know how to bring it up in the first place. He was heartbroken when his father told him he was betrothed to Joonmyun out of the blue. Nothing was set in stone, so he hoped the arrangement would change before anything else happened and decided not to say anything to Chanyeol. When things began to move forward in his father’s plans, he was too shocked and terrified to open his mouth. The world he knew and shared with his lover was going to shatter in the blink of an eye. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing him so soon and selfishly kept the secret to himself.

He shares these thoughts with Chanyeol after a heavy silence and Chanyeol doesn’t show any emotion.

“I’m so sorry, Chanyeol! I should have told you the day I found out, but I knew you wouldn’t take the news well because _we’re_ supposed to get married one day… Childhood wishes mean nothing in this world, sadly. If I could, I’d stop the wedding altogether because I love you and only you.”

Chanyeol can’t fault Jongin for not having any say in his future, but it still hurts nonetheless that the man never bothered to say anything until it was too late. Hesitantly, he snakes an arm around the other to let him know he understands. The heaviness weighing on his heart lessens, only by a bit.

“I know, Jongin. This is utter bullshit if you ask me. I wish I was stronger than this, but sadly you fell for someone so powerless,” Chanyeol whispers as he cards his fingers through Jongin’s hair.

If only Jongin wasn’t so choked up now, he’d let Chanyeol know that he doesn’t think he’s weak at all. Since his words are deemed useless, he tilts his head up to press a kiss to the corner of Chanyeol’s mouth.

“Can we pretend this is all a dream until —” Chanyeol can’t finish his thought when Jongin shuts him up and leads him over to the bed.

 

“Go make us and your kingdom proud, Chanyeol!” Chanyeol’s father shouts over the sound of the scouting party heading out first to make sure there are no dangers lurking in their path.

“I’ll try my best and bring you honor.” He salutes his father from atop his black steed and makes sure the rest of his party is ready to go before commanding them to march forth once they get the signal.

The road ahead of them will be long and daunting, but at the end of it all, Jongin will be there. After his lover’s last visit, they both agreed that his marriage will only put a slight hinderance to their relationship. They’ll try to carry forth more carefully because neither of them wants to let go of the best thing that has ever happened to them. The only way the love between them will die is if god himself intervenes.

It takes the party a week and a half to make it within the borders of the Kingdom of Earth. By then, most of their supplies have been used up. If there aren’t any delays or troubles in their future, they’ll make it to Terra without starving to death. Chanyeol makes sure most of the food goes to the older members and the weak, refusing to eat any more than the bare minimum because he will never be able to forgive himself if he ever lost any of his men or women. Everyone is amazed by how he manages to sit tall with barely any energy. Little do they know it’s the fire burning in his heart that drives him to keep going.

 

Chanyeol is exhausted riding his horse all morning, his legs sore and face red from the sun. He wants to slump over and fall onto the dirt path after barely eating anything, but he can see the high stone walls leading to the royal city, Terra. It’s the only thing keeping him upright because he knows Jongin will be waiting at the castle’s courtyard to greet him and his party.

His advisers want to make one last stop to freshen up before they meet the king, but Chanyeol could care less about smelling like sweat and grime. He urges everyone to keep moving forth and think about the plush sofas and beds they’ll get to lie on soon enough.

Once they’re only a couple miles away from the entrance, Chanyeol carelessly spurs his horse to pick up the pace. He can hear people calling out for him, their cries becoming more faint as the distance between them grows. Peddlers and farmers on the outskirts stare up at him with their mouths agape as he flies by, making his way up and down the winding roads of the city. He nearly scares a poor woman balancing a basket of ripe apples on her head, and he shouts an apology over his shoulder.

Soon he can make out the tiny figures at the castle gates and grins like a madman once he spots Jongin among them. He abandons his steed and throws the reins at the waiting stablehands to take by the archway, heading for the man he’s been dying to see, but upon noticing the King by Jongin’s side, his footsteps come to a sudden halt. He forgot all about the formalities and blushes when the King stares at him in befuddlement.

“Your Royal Majesty! It’s quite the honor to be standing here before you. I must apologize for my father’s, the King’s, absence, but I hope you will find me pleasant company too. Prince Jongin’s… wedding will be the talk of the century,” Chanyeol says as he takes several steps back to properly bow to his hosts.

The King roars in laughter, clutching onto his rotund belly as he throws his head back. “Oh, Prince Chanyeol. I am more than happy to have you come all the way out here from Ignis. Even though the King can’t be here to enjoy such a jubilant day, I’m sure you’ll be able to fill him in on the details. Now, where is the rest of your entourage? I’m certain your father would never let you journey so far on your own no matter how much you’ve grown.”

Chanyeol glances back and is in genuine surprise to see only a couple citizens staring in, in wonder. It takes him a second to remember he had left everyone behind because he was overexcited to see Jongin.

“Ah! They are just a little behind, is all. I just couldn’t help but rush here because I wanted to spend as much time as I possibly could in your beautiful capitol!”

“You make me blush, Prince Chanyeol. Well, when they arrive, we’ll make sure to bring your things up to your quarters. In the meantime, I’ll have Jongin show you around since he knows the castle better than anyone else.” The earth king nudges Jongin, who has been quiet all this time, towards Chanyeol. “Go, my boy. There is so much to see and our guest has a limited amount of time!”

Jongin beckons for Chanyeol to follow him inside of the front doors, down a long narrow hallway, then up a flight of stairs which leads to Jongin’s personal chambers. He tells the guards by the door to not bother him for the next hour while he shows Prince Chanyeol some of the things he’s received from overseas and locks the door behind them.

“Fuck, it’s been so long since I’ve last seen you,” Jongin mumbles as he pulls Chanyeol into his arms, taking in his musky scent.

“You came by just earlier this week!” Chanyeol chuckles and kisses Jongin on the top of his head.

Jongin thumps Chanyeol on the chest with a huff. “That’s considered a long time to me. I really missed you, you know.”

Chanyeol hums in response and leads Jongin over to the bed, pushing the young prince down gently onto the down covers.

“Is that really the right way to treat a crowned prince?” Jongin mocks as he settles on the bed.

Chanyeol rolls his eyes and pretends to contemplate whether or not he wants to join Jongin until his lover begins to whine. It may only have been a couple days since they’ve last seen each other, but now there’s no rush. Jongin doesn’t have to teleport home as soon as they finish making love and Chanyeol doesn’t have to worry about someone barging into his rooms for ‘important matters’.

“Come here,” Chanyeol commands once he’s sitting on the edge and Jongin is in his lap in an instant.

 

During the welcoming dinner, Chanyeol gets to sit on the King’s right hand side, the seat of honor. Every dish that comes by is served to him first which means all the finest cuts of meat end up on his plate. He can’t concentrate on enjoying the foods because his eyes keep scanning the room for a glimpse of this Prince Joonmyun from the Kingdom of Water he’s heard so much about. The other dinner guests are either from Chanyeol’s party or the King’s personal friends and advisers. They’re all too old to be the young man Jongin has told him about.

“Your Royal Majesty, will Prince Joonmyun not be joining us this evening?” Chanyeol asks.

“Oh no, my dear prince. Tonight is all about you and your arrival! Prince Joonmyun insisted on his absence. He didn’t want the spotlight taken away from you,” the King answers between bites of pheasant.

Chanyeol nods at the information and wonders just how cocky Joonmyun is to think that he could easily steal the spotlight. The fire prince is a boisterous character, after all, and the only person to have ever outshined him is Jongin, the apple of his eye.

“I see. When will I have the honor of meeting your soon-to-be son-in-law?”

“The day after tomorrow. The young man has decided to spend two days in a nearby village to relax and give you space. Isn’t he so thoughtful? I was right about choosing him as Jongin’s husband.”

The tinge of jealousy inside of Chanyeol manifests into a monster at the revelation. It’s one thing to have a royal marriage between two kingdoms for an alliance’s sake, but to have the earth king personally pick a husband for his son really hurts. This means the King doesn’t see Chanyeol as worthy or fit enough for Jongin.

After they’re all done eating, Chanyeol relays this information to Jongin, and Jongin swears Chanyeol is everything he could ever ask for in a man.

 

“Chanyeol! You need try this baker’s pies. They are absolutely divine!” Jongin exclaims the next day, leading his lover out into the heart of the city with an escort of guards.

“You have such a big sweet tooth. I’m surprised your teeth haven’t rotted away yet,” Chanyeol jests.

Not much has changed since Chanyeol had last visited Terra, but the experience of walking down the cobblestone roads and passing by marble fountains feels different. He refuses to admit that it’s the fact that he’s here to attend Jongin’s wedding and pushes the miserable thought out of his mind. Today is his day with Jongin, and he’ll try to make the best of it.

“My father doesn’t allow me to eat everything I want which is why a treat from time to time is okay.”

They arrive at an open air market where stands line up in rows with vendors shouting out prices and enticements. Jongin stops the group in front of a middle-aged woman offering a variety of baked goods spread out on a table. She smiles up at them and greets Jongin as if they’ve known each other for years. The guards try to step in when the woman grabs the young prince’s hand, but Jongin tells them to back down.

“It’s so nice to see you again, Areum. This is Prince Chanyeol from the Kingdom of Fire. I told him about your husband’s pies and we’d like to take one with us,” Jongin says as he looks over their options, drooling over the breads, cakes, and pies.

“Prince Chanyeol! Prince Jongin has told me so much about you. You’re much more handsome than he described.” The woman leans over her stand to get a better look at Chanyeol, and his face flushes instantly.

“I think I’ll have take a custard one, but they all look delicious.” Jongin fishes out a coin from his pocket and hands it over in exchange for the pie. “I’ll come back next week!”

“It’s a shame you can’t stay around to talk like usual, but I can’t blame you for wanting to leave so soon,” the vendor says, eyeing Chanyeol up and down. His face is now beet red.

As they prepare to depart, Jongin notices three children huddled together under the shade of a vegetable stand. They look famished and eye the dessert in his hands with interest.

“Areum! Please give these children one of your best pies. It’s on me!” Jongin cries out, tossing a gold coin to the woman.

“No wonder the people love you. I’ve never been around much to see you in action, but I now can believe why you’re the people’s prince.”

Chanyeol has always known Jongin was a good man, but to what extent was unknown to him until now. It warms his heart to see his lover look at the lower class as his equals instead of simply peasants. One day when Jongin takes the crown, Chanyeol is certain Jongin will be a fair and wise king who will go down in history for it.

When they return to the castle with a custard pie in hand, Jongin leads Chanyeol to the gardens in the back where they can enjoy the weather and their treat. The two princes sit underneath the shade of an ash tree.

“The pie has gotten cold already,” Jongin grumbles as if he doesn’t know Chanyeol has the power to command fire.

“Hand it over, you whiney baby.” Chanyeol places the pan atop his palm and carefully concentrates to will warmth to gather in his hand without combusting the pie. When he sees smoke rising, it’s time to stop.

“Thanks. You’re the best.” Jongin is greedy and steals the pie from Chanyeol, but regrets his decision immediately when the tin burns his fingers.

“Careful, Jongin, it’s hot.”

Once the pie has cooled down just enough for Jongin to eat, he claws a piece out ungracefully and gets crumbs all over his golden doublet. He doesn’t mind the mess at all since the custard pie tastes delicious, especially since Chanyeol warmed it up for him. He extends his hand out to feed the other and laughs when the piece misses his mouth, smushing it against his cheek instead.

“I’m going to get you for that!” Chanyeol squawks and makes sure the rest of the pie is safe before pinning Jongin down on the grass.

“What if someone catches us?” Jongin asks, no trace of worry in his voice.

“Considering you chose to sit here in the very back of the gardens, I’m pretty sure you had something like this in mind.” Jongin doesn’t have time to ask what _this_ is when Chanyeol leans to mesh their mouths together in a tender kiss that turns heated instantly as the young prince slips his tongue inside of Chanyeol’s mouth and his hand up the front of the man’s shirt.

 

“Prince Chanyeol, this is Prince Joonmyun from the Kingdom of Water. I hope you two get along well, and if that stupid air king ever decides to get off his high horse, then all the princes can form another alliance to ensure harmony will be kept between the kingdoms when we bag of bones wither away,” the King sighs out.

“Oh, sire! You will reign for many decades to come. After all, you’re still young and have the agility of a mustang,” Joonmyun reassures him before turning to Chanyeol with a warm smile on his face.

This is the day Chanyeol has been dreading since his father sent him here, and all of the mental preparation from the past few weeks vanishes into thin air. He doesn’t like how genial and cordial Joonmyun looks. The older prince’s straight posture is also getting on his nerves. Today isn’t going to be a pleasant day. He isn’t sure if having Jongin here by his side is a blessing or a curse. It’s good to have support at the tips of his fingers, but Joonmyun will probably be the one winning all of Jongin’s attention because that’s his _future husband_.

“It’s nice to meet you, Prince Joonmyun,” Chanyeol says curtly and bows.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Prince Chanyeol. We can drop the formalities if you’d like. I want to be good friends with you instead of just allies. A friend of Jongin’s is a friend of mine.”

Chanyeol grits his teeth. How can someone so petite in stature know what to say at all times and look completely at peace with the universe? People fumble over their words — yes, even royals, and god knows there are battles being fought and children getting kidnapped as they speak. Either Joonmyun isn’t a real man, or the Kingdom of Water has been feeding their prince something right.

“No more dilly-dallying now. We have a jousting tournament to attend to!” the earth king announces.

“What? I thought we were going to play several rounds of tennis,” Chanyeol utters out.

“Change of plans. I decided to put the tournament together last minute, so there won’t be that many impressive challengers, but it’ll still be quite the spectacle. We need to celebrate the upcoming wedding as much as possible!”

Jongin gives Chanyeol a sympathetic look because he knows his lover hates sitting around with nothing to do.

The entire court gathers outside in the stands, and the royalty get the privilege of sitting underneath an awning. Chanyeol is forced to sit next to Joonmyun, who has Jongin on his other side. Not only does he have to pretend to enjoy the games, but he has to sit next to this nut. It’s rather maddening, but he can’t say a thing because the King is sitting on his other side. For his father’s sake, he feigns interest as the challengers rush towards each other on their horses, metal clashing against metal. They ride around the long wooden barrier between them when neither player falls and they continue this stupid dance until one of them is on the ground. The crowd goes wild every time blood is shed, and all Chanyeol can think about is how crude this kind of entertainment is. Despite their fancy get-ups and titles, everyone here is a savage deep at heart.

He munches on the grapes proffered to him on a silver platter, shoving a handful in his mouth at a time to avoid talking as much as possible. He could care less about looking dignified in front of the crowd, and besides, they all have their eyes on the poor saps trying to dismount one another. The city could be on fire, and no one would take notice until it’s too late to save the skin on their back.

One man after another, they get a face full of dirt as they crash against the ground. The tension in the air rises as the tournament slowly reaches its climax. Joonmyun seems to be enjoying himself, as is the King. They hold brief conversations between rounds as the losers are dragged away into a tent for medical treatment, and Chanyeol has to slump in his seat so the men have no trouble communicating.

A winner is crowned after several arduous rounds, the last man standing out on the field. His breastplate is dented in several places where fallen challengers attacked him, but the man wears a smile on his face as if the angels above have blessed him. The earth king gives the honor of handing the prize over to Prince Joonmyun. The young man beams at Jongin as he stands up to proceed with the miniature ceremony, and it sickens Chanyeol to the core.

Jongin lets Chanyeol have his way with him that night because he wants his lover to forget about the horrible day he had.

 

To Chanyeol’s dismay, he has to spend more days with Prince Joonmyun. Having to sit next to the young man for hours was enough torture already, so he isn’t sure how he’ll keep himself sane anymore. To make matters worse, Jongin can’t spare any time to be with them as he has some wedding preparations to attend to.

The first two days are filled with unbearable silence on Chanyeol’s part as he listens to the older prince talk about his homeland and upbringing. He talks a lot about the Kingdom of Water's history, too, sharing tales about everything from the birth of water shows to the kingdom's participation in the worst war to wreck the kingdoms. If Chanyeol didn’t hate Joonmyun, he’d let the water prince know just how impressed he was that his kingdom caused droughts all over the lands during such a dire time.

Joonmyun doesn’t seem to mind the fact that he does all the talking during their allotted times together, so when he asks Chanyeol a question on the third day, it catches him off guard when the fire prince talks.

“How did you and Jongin meet?” Joonmyun asks during a walk around the gardens.

“Jongin didn’t tell you?” Chanyeol asks back without thinking.

Joonmyun shakes his head and looks up at Chanyeol with kind eyes. “All he told me was that you two were children back then. I didn’t want to prod him any further.”

“Yet you don’t mind prodding me? Way to be fair with a fellow royal,” Chanyeol scoffs, quickening his strides so Joonmyun struggles a little to catch up. He cringes inside seeing how unaffected the other is and wonders if there are even any buttons to push.

“That’s not what I meant. You don’t have to tell me either. I just wanted to understand Jongin a little more,” Joonmyun laments, his breathing beginning to turn shallow.

Chanyeol sure as hell isn’t going to give Joonmyun more information on Jongin because that may help to get them closer. Even though he has no say in their impending marriage, holding everything he knows about the young prince over Joonmyun’s hand is an invigorating feeling. For the first time, he finally has the upper hand. His behavior is childish at best, nothing like the values and lessons his tutors instilled in him, but he could care less right now as he watches Joonmyun’s expression change from contentment to sorrow.

“Something wrong, Prince Joonmyun?” Chanyeol asks, taking a sharp turn around a tall hedge.

“Not at all. I’m just... starting to get the impression you don’t like me,” Joonmyun shares.

Chanyeol thinks that’s the understatement of the century. He hates Joonmyun’s guts and every fiber of his being. The fact that he’s healthy, intelligent, and courteous makes everything ten times worse. It figures, considering only the finest will do for Jongin, according to the King. Remembering that he is not worthy of his lover’s hand in marriage stings more, now that the big day is coming up.

“Prince Chanyeol! Is your heart well?” Joonmyun exclaims with worry as he stops Chanyeol from walking any further.

“What in the world are you talking —” Chanyeol hadn’t realized he’d been clutching at his chest and gently shoves Joonmyun away from him with his free hand. He would love to see the older prince cry from a fall, but he’s slightly above that, barely.

“I’m going back to my rooms. I think the sun is getting to me,” Chanyeol lies and walks past the page who had been assigned to accompany the young men.

He presses his face into the soft pillows of his bed upon arrival, heaving out a sigh. His chest still feels heavy after a maid pours him a glass of water, and he demands to be left alone for the rest of the day. He’ll have his dinner in his rooms despite the fact he would be able to see Jongin (for the first time in days) if he joined the others, but right now he wants to be alone with his thoughts.

 

“What’s bothering you, Chanyeol?” Jongin asks the eve of the wedding.

They’re sitting together on Jongin’s four-poster bed, and he’s been bugging Chanyeol all afternoon to disclose his thoughts. It’s agonizing to not know what’s going through his lover’s head sometimes. He understands that a part of the silence is due to the unfortunate events that must occur, but both princes understand they had no hand in the dealings.

Chanyeol can’t blame Jongin for following his father’s wishes because that’s the filial thing to do, but deep down he wishes they could simply run away together and throw all responsibility to the winds.

“That’s wishful thinking, son,” Chanyeol’s father had told him once when he was a young child who only wanted to roll around in the dirt and light bugs on fire. “You’re a Park. With that name comes great responsibility, but I believe you can shoulder that burden once you’re older.”

Chanyeol can barely shoulder the burden of losing his lover to someone who is more smart and charming than he is. At least he can be grateful towards Jongin for never pushing the issue at hand when they are alone, putting up the veil of illusion that Chanyeol is only visiting Terra simply for pleasure.

“I can’t bear the thought of losing the person I care about the most,” Chanyeol confides in Jongin. They already knew what was going through his mind, but hearing him actually say those words weighs heavily on them.

“You won’t be losing me because I’m only a finger snap away from you,” Jongin assures him and lays down on the bed, pulling Chanyeol down on top of him.

Jongin caresses his lover’s cheek with the back of his hand, in the hopes that the gesture will help calm the storm rumbling in his mind. He smiles to himself when Chanyeol leans into the touch and pecks him on the forehead.

“Please, tell me this is all a bad dream,” Chanyeol mutters as he mouths Jongin’s neck, knowing he can’t leave any marks this time.

“I-I can’t, but we can pretend that it’s only you and me,” Jongin offers, turning his head to give Chanyeol more access.

Jongin’s answer suffices for now, and Chanyeol blocks the outside world, focusing all his attention on the man he loves. He takes his time unlacing the front of his lover’s linen shirt and dragging the flimsy fabric over his head. Once that’s out of the way, he leans down to slot their lips together, lazily licking his way into Jongin’s mouth. He’s tasted the most succulent fruits Ignis has to offer, but they will always pale in comparison to the sweet taste of his lover.

Chanyeol pulls away when his lungs burn for oxygen and grins at the flush on Jongin’s cheeks, murmuring to himself about how pretty Jongin looks. He takes his time mapping out Jongin’s body with his mouth, committing every line and curve to memory. He leaves a trail a kisses down along the young prince’s chest all the way to his navel and sucks lightly on his protruding hipbones.

Jongin grows impatient with each passing moment, the feeling of Chanyeol’s tongue gliding over his skin is not enough anymore. His erection strains against the rough fabric of his pants, and he groans when it seems like Chanyeol is intent on making him suffer, but a sigh of relief comes when the other finally pulls his trousers down. The temporary comfort subsides as Chanyeol ignores Jongin’s cock and spreads his legs open to leave open mouth kisses on his inner thighs.

“Park Chanyeol, no games. I need you now,” Jongin says and locks Chanyeol’s head in place with his knees.

“I just wanted to cherish you properly for the last time…”

Jongin feels bad and reaches down to card his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair in a silent apology. All seems to be forgiven when Chanyeol gives his cock the attention it seeks. He’s forever grateful for how good the other makes him feel, from the way Chanyeol’s tongue traces the vein on the underside of his cock to the slickness of his mouth as he engulfs as much of the length as possible. The delicious heat has him writhing, clawing at the bed sheets.

“Fuck, I want you inside of me before I cum,” Jongin gasps out sharply when the head of his cock hits the back of Chanyeol’s throat.

Chanyeol concedes to Jongin’s whim. As much as he would love to take his time worshipping Jongin’s body, he wants to make his lover the happiest man alive, even if it’s for only a night. He gets himself undressed as fast as possible, clothing thrown carelessly onto the floor. He gets situated between Jongin’s legs as he commands the other to suck on his fingers while using the other hand to pump himself.

Jongin takes Chanyeol’s fingers into his mouth willingly, slicking the digits up with swipes of his tongue and sucking on them obscenely to garner a reaction from the other man. It seems to work when he pulls away suddenly, muttering a slew of profanities under his breath.

Chanyeol slowly works him open, one finger at a time. He allows Jongin a bit of time in between a new addition to get comfortable, wanting this to be as pleasurable experience for him as possible. Jongin is keening by the time the third finger is in and digs the heels of his feet into the small of Chanyeol’s back, urging him to fuck him already.

Jongin’s eyes roll back when Chanyeol fills him up, and he takes a moment to steady his breathing. When he’s finally ready, he tugs Chanyeol down for a kiss. Chanyeol’s movements are slow as he thrusts and tweaks one of Jongin’s nipples between his fingers to add on an extra layer of pleasure.

This feels like the first time they got together, taking things slowly and making sure both parties’ needs are being satisfied, except this time there might not be a next time.

The only things spilling from their mouths are breathy moans and each other’s names as they get closer and closer climaxing. Jongin is dizzy and out of his mind from the way Chanyeol pounds into him, making him feel so, so good. He’ll never get tired of Chanyeol holding him down by his hips, which always leaves faint bruises. When he feels the familiar pressure building up, he reaches between their bodies to jerk himself off to completion.

Soon they’re both chasing for release and cry out one another’s name in bliss.

Chanyeol swears he can see tears spilling down Jongin’s cheeks when the initial high begins to fade, but he can’t really tell through the tears fogging up his own vision.


	2. Chapter 2

The city is restless on the day of Jongin and Joonmyun’s wedding. Merchants sell trinkets commemorating the big day while bakers offer one-of-a-kind sweets that would make anyone’s mouth water. Skilled healers offer their services for free in the name of the Prince. Peasants who would normally be ignored are encouraged to join in on the festivities, too. Children run around wearing their Sunday best, pretending to be the newlyweds chasing each other. The streets are packed with people, some of them heading over to the grandiose church in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the ceremony. Most people with a sensible brain await on the side of the road for the wedding parade to pass through so that they can see their beloved prince one last time as a bachelor.

Chanyeol sits at the window bay, staring out into courtyard as the castle makes last minute preparations. He had hoped to see Jongin one last time before he was whisked off to get ready for the ceremony, but the young prince wasn’t allowed to have any guests aside from immediate family. The announcement had him reeling back to his chambers. Soon his men will be here to help dress him for the wedding, but Chanyeol could care less about looking sharp since Jongin will always be the center of attention wherever he goes. The latter is full of life and so kind, like a moth to a flame, everyone is attracted to his vibrant personality.

“Your Grace, we need to begin dressing you now so you won’t be late,” one of Chanyeol’s pages informs him.

“Alright. I’m ready.” He isn’t.

 

Lengths of ivory organza drape from the high beams of the church, transforming the large building into an intimate venue. White rose petals decorate the center aisle, laid out haphazardly over the wooden floors, but everyone knows each petal was placed down meticulously. (The King would never leave things to chance). Bouquets of baby’s breath and hydrangeas sit in tall vases on either side of the altar while a man garbed in all beige plays the grand organ, filling the room with peaceful melodies.

Jongin looks stunning in his emerald green brocade jacket layered over a linen chemise with black trousers to top the outfit off. He scuffs his leather shoes against the floor as the priest reads the rites off from the leather-bound text in his wrinkled hands. Chanyeol should be paying attention to the service so he can report the happenings to his father, but his eyes are glued to the young prince. He wishes he were the one standing up on the raised platform next to Jongin instead of Joonmyun, to hold his hand and calm the nerves.

The sunlight shining in through the window casts a halo over Jongin’s mop of blonde hair as he turns to kiss his newly wedded husband, and Chanyeol’s heart shatters into pieces. He knew this was going to happen, but is completely unprepared for the gnawing feeling in his chest. When everyone rises to see the happy couple out of the church, his knees feel weak underneath the weight of his heavily embroidered jacket, or is it the weight of reality setting in?

He gives Jongin a weak smile as his lover passes by with his new husband clinging on his arm and stares at them as they disappear down the aisle and out of sight. The crowd outside can be heard cheering for the married couple, and the noise doesn’t die down as the guests head on out themselves. If the city was alive in the morning, it is now bursting at the seams with enthusiasm and laughter.

 

The reception is held in the grand dining hall of the castle, everyone from the kitchens to the royal family are seated at long wooden tables brought out just for the occasion. Goblets are filled to the brim with wine, and plates are covered in the finest foods available in the kingdom. For entertainment, the earth king has brought in fools who specialize in manipulating ice and water (in honor of his new son-in-law), making for quite a show in the front of the room. The guests laugh as a gigantic dragon ice sculpture bursts into droplets of water, dampening their clothes, but not their mood.

Chanyeol is more than tempted to step up from where he’s seated to melt down everything the performers construct and evaporate every last drop of water with the heat of his jealousy. He doesn’t want to be here, watching everyone have a good time while he’s miserable. Even though Jongin had told him he wasn’t enthusiastic about marrying Joonmyun, the young prince looks like he’s having a good time, too. He can’t blame his lover for smiling over the festivities because if this were under different circumstances, Chanyeol would be enjoying himself as well.

Toasts are made and cake is sliced. As much as Chanyeol loves watching drunk men make a fool of themselves and eating sweets like the next person, it’s hard to savor anything. Just like at the ceremony, all he has eyes for is Jongin. The young prince only looks his way every now, and then, but it’s enough to reaffirm his belief that he’s still on Jongin’s mind.

As the evening draws to a close, the King goes over to Chanyeol with the brightest smile on his face. It isn’t a wonder where Jongin inherited his gorgeous and breathtaking smile from.

Chanyeol doesn’t want to be rude and gets up to speak with the man, abandoning his mostly untouched dinner.

“Come, Prince Chanyeol, you will accompany us to observe the merry couple consummate their marriage!” the King declares, draping a meaty arm over Chanyeol’s shoulders.

“I am afraid I’ll have to pass, Your Royal Majesty. My mind is foggy from all the wine, and I’d like to retreat to my rooms for the rest of the evening.”

Chanyeol had more than his fill of alcohol during the grand feast because he was sickened by how jolly fellow guests were, congratulating Jongin and Joonmyun up on the dais. During lulls, Chanyeol would catch Jongin’s eye and they’d exchange solemn looks. From the succulent veal to the enticing plum tarts presented to him, nothing could curb the disgust rumbling in the pit of his stomach. He hated himself and the fates for setting up this _holy matrimony_.  
The earth king frowns at Chanyeol’s easy refusal and must have taken offense. “Do you bid us such disrespect? I expected better from you Parks.”

Chanyeol contemplates whether it would hurt more to watch Jongin knocking boots with his new husband or receiving an earful from his father upon his return home.

“You must pardon me, Your Royal Highness I wasn’t thinking straight at first, but now I will be more than honored to join you, if you will so graciously excuse my idiocy,” the Prince makes a move to kneel down, but the King stops him by tugging on his arm.

“There will be no need for any of that, after all, we’re both god’s children. Now, let the festivities commence once more!” the King shouts out, raising his goblet in the air. The crowd around them follow suit and soon the entire hall is buzzing with even more excitement. Chanyeol thinks he’s about to hurl.

Select individuals follow behind the earth king as he leads them to the chambers where the newlyweds will consummate their marriage. As they get closer and closer, Chanyeol has to force himself not to run the other direction. He isn’t prepared for the show ahead of him. The wedding had him in a chokehold, and the consummation will have his life.

Jongin and Joonmyun are already in the room when the group arrives, garbed in thin white nightgowns. They look so small standing next to the behemoth of a bed, and Jongin searches for Chanyeol among the swarm of men, his heart unsure of how to feel. It’s a relief to see the other prince, but Jongin fears he’ll try to reach out for his hand when the stares get too overwhelming. On the other hand, he wishes Chanyeol weren’t here because they both know how the next few minutes will deepen the fissure between them. Jongin can’t have his cake and eat it, too, unfortunately.

Chanyeol averts his eyes when the couple start to disrobe and tries to shut out the obscene noises the party begins to make. He wishes he could escape now, but the doorway is blocked by other onlookers. The sounds only grow louder as the couple climb into bed together.

 

Chanyeol can’t bring himself to sleep that night, the moans from earlier on lingering in the forefronts of his mind. He knows it’s only human nature and that Jongin may not have really enjoyed having sex with Joonmyun, but the question of ‘what if’ keeps resurfacing. Not having the truth at his disposal drives him crazy.

The castle is more quiet than usual since most of the guests have passed out from too much wine, so there’s nothing to keep Chanyeol distracted. All he really has are the flames that he conjures up in the palm of his hands, bending them this way and that at his will. It’s only a brief form of entertainment as he throws miniature balls of fire at the stone wall, watching them leave singe marks behind as they die out.

He remembers the first time he demonstrated his powers for Jongin (without trying to kill him), wanting to impress the boy and ending up burning down the horse stables. His father was absolutely furious, but the fascination and amazement behind Jongin’s eyes were worth the punishments his father put into place after the younger boy had gone home.

At first, Jongin didn’t want Chanyeol to do anything because they would get in trouble for using their powers carelessly if caught. Chanyeol told him there was nothing to be worried about. Of course, he was wrong. His grasp on his powers were weak at the time, so willing a tiny wisp of fire to appear at his fingertips turned into a medium-sized ball of flames.

“It’s okay, Jongin. I’ll tell them it was my idea. You won’t get in trouble,” Chanyeol had consoled the boy as they watched the horses panic and stable boys scramble for buckets of water.

 

After awhile, he gets tired of playing games and rolls onto his side to stare at the night sky. It brings him a sense of comfort watching the stars twinkle lazily, but the only comfort he needs right now can only be found within Jongin’s embrace.

“It’s okay Jongin, but I’m not,” he murmurs to himself right before sleep takes over.

“We are so sad to see you go, Prince Chanyeol. It was an honor for us to be in your presence. I hope to see you again soon, maybe after the boys gets one of the whores pregnant.”

Chanyeol smiles up at the King and exchanges pleasantries of his own.

It’s finally time for him to go back after two weeks of hell. Relief and worry wash over him. He never has to see Jongin and Joonmyun interact ever again, but who knows what will happen when he’s gone. Jongin might learn to love his husband and forget all about Chanyeol in the process.

His bags and trunks are all packed up, ready for the long journey back to Ignis. The horses and his men await outside in the courtyard. All they need now is their prince and off they go, far, far away from the Kingdom of Earth.

“Father! Can I speak with our dearest guest once more before he departs? I’d like to thank him privately for coming all the way out here,” a warm voice fills the room. Chanyeol could pick it out of a crowd easily.

“Why, of course,” the King says, and turns to Chanyeol. “You’re not in a hurry, correct?”

Chanyeol shakes his head. He has all the time in the world when it comes to Jongin.

“That’s wonderful. Inform one of the servants when you’re about to go, and I’ll be out to send you off!”

Chanyeol barely catches the King’s words because all his senses are flooded with Jongin. The latter stands so close to him as they walk off to his private chambers, and if they weren’t being closely monitored, Chanyeol wouldn’t hesitate to close the distance between them.

Once behind closed doors and out of the public’s eye, Jongin breaks down sobbing, and Chanyeol gathers the broken man in his arms. He wasn’t really expecting a heart-to-heart talk when Jongin asked to speak with him in private, but this isn’t exactly what he was expecting either. It doesn’t matter what he had hoped to occur once they were alone anymore because now he needs to focus on calming his lover down.

“Jongin, please stop crying. We’ll definitely see each other again. This isn’t the end of the world,” he mumbles into Jongin’s ear as he rubs soothing circles into the small of his back. He isn’t sure who he’s trying to convince: Jongin or himself.

“I-I know, b-but… you and me. J-joon and I…,” is all Jongin can get out before burying his face into Chanyeol’s shoulder.

Chanyeol isn’t going to push him to say any more and leads them over to a bench so Jongin can be more comfortable. Jongin clings onto the older man tighter as sobs wrack his body. He hates the predicament they have fallen into and feels useless for not having any power to sway things in their favor. What’s the point of being in the one of the most influential families in the land when he can’t use it to his advantage?

They sit there for what feels like hours, but a knock on the door reminds them time isn’t on their side. Jongin lifts his head and sniffles, looking up at Chanyeol with red, puffy eyes. He isn’t ready to let his lover go back home just yet and leans in to share one last searing kiss. He tangles his fingers in the man’s hair as if to keep him there forever by his side and runs his tongue along every surface of his mouth in order to never forget the sweetest taste in the world.

“God, I’m going to miss you so much, Jongin,” Chanyeol breathes out when they pull apart, resting their foreheads together.

They’ve already gone through this conversation after their last night together when they both finished crying, draining up what little energy they had left.

“Not for long, I’ll visit you when my father gets word of your safe return home,” Jongin promises and gives Chanyeol’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“What about Joonmyun? I’m sure he’ll wonder where you’re always disappearing to,” Chanyeol voices his concern. As much as he’d love to have Jongin coming to his room almost every night, the fact that the man is married now makes the arrangement almost impossible.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll figure out a way if it means seeing you again. Even if it may not be like before, you’ll wait for me, right?”

Chanyeol answers him with a kiss.

 

Chanyeol waits and waits, yet Jongin hasn’t come to him in over a month since the wedding. He doesn’t want to believe the worst, but there can’t possibly be any other explanation. Jongin usually tells him in advance if he won’t be able to visit for a period of time, and if he doesn’t, the most they’re away from each other is two weeks. It drives him crazy not knowing what Jongin’s reasons are for leaving him utterly alone with his poisoned thoughts.

He tries to distract him by picking up a book in the castle library, but the one he happens to choose is about a knight and his mistress. When that doesn’t work out, he goes over to the stables in the hopes of taking his trusty steed for a ride around the nearby fields. He isn’t surprised to find out it’s running a fever. There’s nothing left for him to do but lie out on a marble bench in the gardens, watching the birds find food for their nestlings.

“I should find you something productive to do in the kitchens since you look bored out of your mind.”

Chanyeol glances up to find his father looming over him with a stern expression on his face and scrambles to sit up straight because he doesn’t want to get flour in his hair.

“I was only joking. Tell me what’s on your mind. I can tell something has been troubling you,” his father says and joins him on the bench.

“It’s nothing,” he lies through his teeth. It wouldn’t make sense to tell his father he’s been secretly meeting Jongin all these years.

“Jongin is nothing to you?”

Alarms go off in his head. There is no way his father knows about his biggest secret or else he would have been busted long ago when Jongin started to visit him when they were children. He tries to figure out an explanation for his father’s strange words and nearly pisses his breeches seeing the way his father continues to look at him in all seriousness.

“You think I wouldn’t know a trespasser has been entering my home almost every single week for the past seventeen years?”

“But… h-how? Why?” he stammers outs.

“The walls have eyes and ears, Chanyeol, mine to be exact. I have men and women working around the clock to make sure nothing is amiss. This castle is far too massive for me alone to keep watch of. When I first found out about Jongin’s visits, I wanted to tell his father immediately, but you two were merely having fun for an hour before he went home. It seemed harmless,” his father explains.

Chanyeol knows his father is purposely leaving out the part where he and Jongin began to have sex, and the thought of his father knowing everything about his personal business is humiliating.

“I’ve since stopped checking on you two when you turned sixteen, so don’t worry. I did hope that your attendance at his wedding would end your feelings for him, though. I was wrong, sadly.”

Chanyeol’s jaw drops. He replays his father’s words in his head and is now absolutely disgusted by his intentions. His father purposely had him go all the way to Terra in his stead to watch the man he loves marry someone else. It was a cruel plan, and he can feel bile rising up in the back of his throat. How heartless could a father be?

“This is absurd. I would expect such sickening behavior from an untrained dog, but you, father? I can’t believe my ears.”

He pushes aside all formalities by leaving in a rush and running off to his room. He knows his father can easily take down the doors if he feels like it, but the fire prince could care less.

 

Maybe his father is right, though, he figures an hour into his solitary confinement. There’s no point in pining for someone who is already married.

 

Chanyeol sees Jongin again three weeks later, and his father’s words are easily forgotten. The pain of betrayal is replaced by the pain of worry. He never stopped wondering what happened to his lover and couldn’t function properly without any answers.

The first thing Jongin does is apologize for his absence, reciting the past month’s events. He had been moving to the newest wing in the castle and making arrangements to ensure the process ran smoothly. It took a long time to get accustomed to Joonmyun’s constant presence in his life, but eventually he became comfortable enough as to undress around his new husband.

The last point has Chanyeol dumbfounded. He doesn’t want to think about Jongin and Joonmyun seeing each other in their natural states. The consummation still haunts him to this day, so there is no need to know intimacy (or at least glimpses of nudity) is a part of their daily lives. His jealousy is misplaced, but he can’t help blaming Joonmyun for everything.

“I see. Well, I’m glad you haven’t dropped me like a deadweight, yet.”

“Yet? What makes you think I’ll ever leave you?”

Chanyeol doesn’t want to voice the terrible thoughts which been circling his mind ever since the day he left Terra. They promised each other nothing would change between them, but people and priorities do. The day either of the princes gets one of the castle whores pregnant, he knows it’ll be the end for them. Children are a hassle and demand their parents’ absolute attention. There won’t be any room for Chanyeol and the love they once had for each other. He wants to believe they’ll live an unconventional happily ever after despite all of this, he truly does.

These are the same worries he’s had before, but they’ve manifested into monsters that lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack. They drive him insane, and there’s nothing he can do about them because he’s powerless against his own insecurities.

“I hate how after everything we’ve been through, you’re still hesitant to tell me what’s on your mind. Isn’t my being here enough to prove to you that I haven’t given up on us?” Jongin pleads, taking both of Chanyeol’s hands between his own.

Chanyeol can’t believe how small Jongin looks right now before him. The young prince has always had a big presence wherever he went with that easygoing personality and welcoming smile, yet now it’s as if he’s reverted back to his childhood self.

“Our lives are like the tides, ever changing,” Chanyeol says solemnly.

Jongin frowns. “And just like the tides, I’ll always be here.”

Chanyeol tries his keep up the serious expression on his face, but Jongin knows exactly how to crack him open.

“I fucking hate you,” he mumbles, kissing his lover on the forehead.

“I know. Why don’t you show me how much you hate me in the bed?” Jongin challenges.

 

After they’re sated and relishing in the post-coitus bliss, Chanyeol comes to the conclusion that his father is absolutely wrong. He has every right to go after Jongin even if the man is unobtainable at the moment. Nothing can get in the way of their love.

 

Chanyeol’s 25th birthday is coming up soon, and in order to celebrate it properly, his father brings in the best chefs, bakers, seamstresses, entertainers, and anyone else he can think of to make this the best day of his son’s life. Chanyeol thinks it’s a bit excessive to have a monument built in his name on top of everything else going on, but his father insists.

“It’s to commemorate the big day!”

All Chanyeol really needs is to see Jongin, who is not surprisingly one of the many people on the guest list. It dismays him to see Joonmyun’s name right underneath, but there’s no other way to go about it because offending an entire kingdom isn’t on Chanyeol’s to-do list. He hopes when he sees Joonmyun again, he’ll be able to stay civil whenever the water prince gets a little too close to Jongin’s personal space.

He isn’t allowed to oversee any of the preparations since his father wants everything to be a surprise, so he spends most of the days leading up to the celebration wondering what the monkeys by the stables are for and why the kitchens smell like burning smoke every time he passes by. He tries to ask maids, servants, and pages for a clue, but everyone stays mum.

“I apologize, Your Royal Highness, but the King has sworn the entire castle to secrecy.”

When Jongin visits the week the invitations are sent out, Chanyeol makes sure to give him a very special and personal one. He wants to make sure the man doesn’t miss one of the biggest days of his life because it wouldn’t be the same without his lover there.

The most important guests arrive several days in advance, a majority of them being dukes and duchesses from the other clans in the Kingdom of Fire. They’re all stiff and proper which has Chanyeol believing even the men wear restricting corsets under their doublets and jackets. He greets them with finesse and grace. When Jongin and his father come through the main gates, Chanyeol greets them with idiocy.

“Jongin!” he cries out, throwing his arms around his lover.

The entire castle and Jongin’s entourage look on uncomfortably because showing any signs of affection in the public eye is reserved for parents and their children. Chanyeol doesn’t realize his faux pas until his father clears his throat from behind. His cheeks turn beet red as he takes a step back and tries to apologize to the earth king for his rude behavior. Jongin is fighting back a stupid grin.

“It’s not me whom you should apologize to, it’s Prince Joonmyun,” the King says, gesturing to his son-in-law.

Chanyeol chews on his inner cheek. He purposely blocked out Joonmyun and focused all his attention on Jongin when they had arrived. Looking over at the shorter male has him fighting the urge to throw up.

“I’m sorry for offending you, Prince Joonmyun. I didn’t mean to assault your — the Prince Jongin.”

Joonmyun shakes his head and waves off Chanyeol’s apology. “It’s okay. I know you two are merely good friends. A true friend is hard to come by nowadays, so I’m glad you do Jongin the honor of being his companion.”

Everyone is head over heels for the way Joonmyun has handled the situation and Chanyeol is seething inside. Even in foreign territory, Joonmyun knows how to win the people over. If the man wasn’t a thorn to his side, he’d want them to be allies.

“Let’s get you all settled in your quarters now,” Chanyeol’s father says, gesturing for the earth king and his family to follow the servants in waiting.

 

“You’re almost another year older, yet you still act like a child,” Jongin comments.

“In my defense, I really like you,” Chanyeol whispers into Jongin’s ear, pulling away when a steward walks on by.

They’re sitting in the atrium together where most of the things Chanyeol’s father has brought in for the birthday celebration are stored. Most of it being tapestries, tables, candles, and chairs, but there are a couple things he hasn’t been able to make out thanks to the burlap cover.

No one minds the pair because they only look like two friends catching up, but if anyone were to pay close attention, they’d notice the way Jongin’s eyes light up as he listens to Chanyeol talk and how Chanyeol leans in just a little too close to take in Jongin’s scent.

Jongin punches Chanyeol on the arm, and the latter lets out a yelp.

“Is everything all right here?”

“Yeah, there was a fly on the Prince, and I killed it for him.”

“As if she actually believed that stupid lie,” Chanyeol hisses, clutching onto his arm.

“Would you have rather had me tell her I just wanted a reason to touch you?” Jongin asks, quirking a brow.

Chanyeol’s cheeks flush for the second time that day, and he buries his face in his hands out of embarrassment. He hates how easily Jongin can fluster him in under two seconds.

“M-moving on, what took you so long to come here? Couldn’t you all have just teleported here?”

Chanyeol was like a puppy dog every time he found out someone new had arrived to the castle, running down to the gates to see who their guest was. His mood deflated whenever he saw a face that didn’t belong to Jongin. He hid his disappointment to the best of his abilities, but it became harder with each new person who wasn’t Jongin. The day before, he almost scowled at his own great uncle.

“Because not everyone is me, and do you realize how much of an effort it is to bring trunks upon trunks of clothing and gifts? Travelling by horse was the reasonable decision. Unlike you, we don’t abuse our powers.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jongin rolls his eyes.

Time is forgotten as Jongin shares stories about his misadventures in the kitchen, trying to bake bread for the poor while Chanyeol has ridiculous theories about the secret his father is keeping under wraps. Jongin doesn’t believe Chanyeol is going to get a horde of monkeys for pets, but he amuses his lover anyway by asking him what he’ll name all of them.

 

Chanyeol knows he can’t ignore Joonmyun forever since the man is a guest in his home, and Chanyeol wants to be a gracious host. He goes out of his way to be courteous with the shorter male, smiling whenever they pass by one another and insisting he gets served first during meals together. It’s hard pretending to like someone, but he supposes going down in history as the most hated man is worse.

He tries to get out of spending any extra time with the older prince, but wanting to be with Jongin means his husband needs to tag along automatically. Conversations are awkward and interactions even more so. He unconsciously reaches for Jongin’s hand on several occasions as the three of them walk through the gardens and city, and finds himself squeezing in between the couple to keep Joonmyun away from Jongin.

Joonmyun is either blind or way too polite to say anything. He just allows for these things to happen without a care in the world. His happy-go-lucky attitude makes Chanyeol uneasy because he’s afraid Joonmyun is trying to gather enough evidence to prove Jongin’s affair.

“Do you think he knows?” Chanyeol asks one day when it’s only him and Jongin along with a guard of men following them from a safe distance. He had insisted they go out for a ride on the countryside.

Jongin clutches the reins tighter at the question because he’s been wondering the same thing himself. Joonmyun is a quiet man, but isn’t afraid to speak his mind when something wrong is happening. There were plenty of opportunities for his husband to point out how close he was with Chanyeol, yet nothing came out of his mouth.

“I don’t know, but we should be more careful around each other just to be safe. I don’t want to arouse any suspicions,” Jongin sighs out. He thought his visit here to Ignis would be fun-filled and instead he’ll have to be overly cautious around the birthday boy.

Chanyeol wants to protest, but he knows that Jongin only has their best interests at heart. He has always been the level-headed one in the relationship.

“Fine,” he grumbles and glances over his shoulders to see how much distance there is between them and the guards. They’ve lagged behind significantly ever since their departure from the castle. If his father ever heard about this, he’d have a heart attack because god knows what kind of thieves lurk on these roads. Holding a prince or two hostage can bring in a pretty penny.

“Hey,” he calls over to Jongin. “On the count of three, we’re going to spur the horses into a gallop and take a turn into those woods up ahead.”

“That’s a really stupid idea. You’re going to get the both of us —” Jongin’s eyes widen when Chanyeol shouts out ‘three’, and he panics, kicking his horse to move faster and catching up with Chanyeol who’s ten paces ahead already.

He can hear the guards crying for them to stop, hot on their tails. Dust clouds form behind him as he urges his horse onward and prays that’ll be enough to deter the men.

Once inside of the woods, the terrain is harder to traverse with the slopes and broken branches littering the ground. Jongin loses sight of Chanyeol among the trees, but fears calling out for him because that will make his location known to the guards. To prevent any injury, he dismounts from his steed and carefully leads it towards the unknown.

Jongin wishes Chanyeol had waited for him or at least given him more directions so he wouldn’t be stuck wandering around in what feels like circles. He gives up finding his lover only ten minutes upon spotting a stream, stopping to give his horse a drink.

“Park Chanyeol, I’m going to kill you the next time I see you,” he mutters to himself, kneeling down and splashing water on his face.

He isn’t scared if he can’t find Chanyeol because the beauty of wielding the power of teleportation can come in handy in situations like this, but he doesn’t want to leave Chanyeol possibly dying thanks to a bear or some other ferocious creature.

He lays down his riding cape on the ground and rests on top of it, staring up at the sky through the trees’ foliage. There’s not a cloud in sight, a stark contrast to the grey skies above Terra thanks to the strong winds blowing down from the Kingdom of Air. It’s interesting to think when he and Chanyeol look up from their respective homes, they see completely different things. The sky is seamless, yet all of its beauty arises here in Ignis. He’s never taken notice of how the night sky differs on his visits, having always been preoccupied with a certain giant. Maybe tonight he can ask Chanyeol to —

“Is this seat taken?” Chanyeol asks, his face hovering over Jongin’s and finger pointing at Jongin’s lap.

Jongin holds back a scream and tries to reach up to claw at Chanyeol’s face for giving him such a scare. “Fuck you!”

He clutches his chest, trying to calm his racing heart and glaring up at his laughing lover. He doesn’t think any of this is funny and wants to seek revenge.

Once the two of them are breathing steadily, Jongin beckons for Chanyeol to lean down. He captures Chanyeol’s lips and coaxes his tongue out, sucking on it gently and earning himself a soft groan.

And then he bites down.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” Chanyeol falls back on his haunches and hisses.

“That’s what you get for scaring me like that,” Jongin defends himself and pats down on the empty space by his side, inviting his lover to join him.

Chanyeol is wary because Jongin might knee him in the groin next, but it’s a risk he’s willing to take as he settles down next to him and pulls the man against him. Jongin rests his head on Chanyeol’s chest and reaches for his hand, intertwining their fingers.

“You know that we’re going to get our asses kicked the moment we step foot in the castle, right?”

Chanyeol is aware of this fact, and he could care less. He just wants to waste the rest of his days with Jongin by his side, dealing with the repercussions later.

They talk for a bit about how busy Chanyeol will be tomorrow, on his birthday, and what the two of them can do together before Jongin’s departure. The only thing on their agenda for Jongin’s visit is to be with each other as much as possible, even if they’re just sitting in the same room listening to a priest read sermons. After that, they decide to take turns sleeping since the high from the chase has finally died down. During Chanyeol’s second shift, he accidentally falls asleep to the sound of Jongin’s steady breathing.

 

“Happy Birthday, my son.”

Chanyeol rolls onto his stomach in the hopes whoever is in his room will just leave him alone. It’s his birthday for god’s sake. He deserves a little extra shut-eye. The presence doesn’t let up, though, and shakes him lightly on the shoulder.

“You’re twenty-five now. You can’t act like a child anymore.”

“But I like being a child,” he mumbles and dismisses the figure with a wave of his hand.

“Park Chanyeol, don’t you dare act this way with your father. I tried giving you some leeway since you’ve never been a morning person, but this is too much for me.”

Chanyeol bangs his head against the headboard as he rises from slumber and smiles apologetically to his father who stands by the bedside, shaking his head. He makes sure there isn’t any dried drool on the corner of his mouth before standing up and giving him a peck on the cheek.

“That’s more like it. Now, I want to give you your gift since I can’t wait until the evening,” his father announces and gestures for them to sit on the bench at the end of the bed.

Chanyeol doesn’t see any cages or monkeys around his room, so he’s in for a real treat. He gets confused when his father pulls out a small box from the inside of his fur-lined coat and hands it over to him. It’s only half the size of his palm.

“Please don’t tell me this is the key to another unused room in the castle.” Chanyeol was nine when his father allowed him to practice his pyrokinesis in an empty cellar where he was free to let loose. He’s not nine anymore, though, so this wouldn’t be the most exciting gift in the world.

“Of course not! What do you take me for? Just open it.”

Chanyeol turns away from his father as he opens up the box, just in case he’s let down and needs to hide his initial disappointment. He isn’t sure how to feel when his eyes land upon a simple gold band with a faded inscription on the inside. The words are hard to make out, but he can tell it was once a vibrant red.

“Do you like it?” his father asks, interrupting his thoughts.

“Uh, yeah. What is it exactly?”

“Have you gone blind? It’s a ring, but not just any ring. Your mother gave it to me the day before we got married. I wore it everyday until she passed away when you were only a year old.”

Chanyeol hasn’t ever heard his father speak about his mother in all his years. He wonders how his father has managed to keep everything in without breaking down. From the talkative maids, he gathers that his parents were quite in love, and the sudden loss hit his father hard, but he had to stay strong for his baby boy.

“I-I don’t know what to say…, but I do know you shouldn’t be giving me something that means a whole lot more to you than it does to me. I don’t even have any memories of her.” He tries to hand the box back to his father, but the man refuses and forces Chanyeol to keep it.

“She would want you to have it since it symbolizes our happiness together, and she’s probably looking down right now, hoping you’ll find yours soon.”

His father wishes him a happy birthday once more before dismissing himself. Chanyeol slumps down in his seat as he examines the band more closely, trying to get a sense of what it must have been like when his mother knew she had found the one.

He hopes Jongin is his one and only as he slides the band onto his right forefinger.

 

Chanyeol is a grown man, yet his birthday party this year consists of events and attractions that would make any child’s heart race.

His father set up a miniature zoo by the gardens which helps explain the monkeys and other animals he saw the other week. He finds pleasure in watching the monkeys do silly tricks for an apple slice. The hawks are terrifying with their sharp talons and beaks, but nonetheless, he dares Jongin to put on the leather armguard and allow one of the feathered beasts to rest on his arm for a whole minute. In an act of revenge, Jongin dares Chanyeol to feed the lions a slab of meat without letting go until the animal is close to sinking its teeth into his hand. He’s sweating as the feral cat approaches from the other side of the cage and nearly faints when he feels its rancid breath brushing the back of his hand.

A little ways over, performers from all over the continent put on a spectacle. Chanyeol feels the earth shake beneath him as a geokinetic stomps the ground and tries not to squeal when a chasm opens up, lava gushing through from the depths of hell. The crowd is ready to disperse, but then a cryokinetic and hydrokinetic step forward to freeze the mess. When the man from before comes back to shatter the ice with a powerful roundhouse kick, everyone tries to catch one of the ice shards. Chanyeol grabs one for himself and holds it up against the sun to see what’s all the hubbub about. There’s lava trapped inside of the shards. Nothing special in his eyes, but everyone else seems to be enjoying their new souvenirs.

“Here you go, Jongin,” Chanyeol says and hands over his.

“You’re only giving it to me because you think it’s stupid,” Jongin grumbles.

“But I know you think it’s really pretty. Keep it and always remember me.”

“How could I ever forget the idiot who changed my life?”

Inside of the castle, a play based on Chanyeol’s life is performed in the theater. Chanyeol doesn’t want to watch how any of this will go, but Jongin insists. They sit through a whole hour of watching a little boy grow up into an eccentric young man who barely has a grasp on his powers. It’s embarrassing to say the least when the boy’s ears get exponentially bigger after each act.

“Aren’t these things supposed to flatter their subjects?” Chanyeol whines.

“Yes, but I think they were trying to please the audience more than anything… but you being you is pretty entertaining, and I adore your elf ears!” Jongin teases, slapping Chanyeol on the arm.

Chanyeol is happier than ever getting to spend all this time with Jongin, Joonmyun-free. The water prince had excused himself from the morning and afternoon festivities, saying he had a head cold and didn’t want to put a damper on the fun. Chanyeol had hoped Joonmyun would stay in his rooms for the entire day, but not every wish comes true. The latter appears when dinner commences. Fortunately, the delight and excitement in the air makes up for his presence.

The grand feast is held in the dining hall where wine and dancing is plentiful. Drunkards stagger onto their feet, trying to woo a lady or two with their lethargic movements, and everyone around them guffaw as they watch the fools fall flat on their faces.

Chanyeol laughs his ass off with Jongin by his side on the dias, ignoring Joonmyun without making it too obvious for his other guests. He tries to have fun anyway despite having the water prince within reach to kill, showering Jongin with attention and only minding Joonmyun when he speaks with him directly.

His mind is still clear by the end of the night, so he doesn’t accidentally drag Jongin over to his chambers unlike a couple other guests who bring any willing soul with a beating heart to their rooms. He thanks everyone for coming since most of them will be departing within the next day and doesn’t get to rest until the most important guests have gone to bed.

Before calling it a night, he thanks his father once more for throwing a wonderful bash for him and promises to be the most filial son in all the lands.

“You know what you have to do then.”

Those words haunt him all the way to bed. He had pushed all thoughts of leaving Jongin to the recesses of his mind and hoped they wouldn’t come back anytime soon. Thankfully, Jongin awaits for him in his bed, and before he can begin to ask what Joonmyun must be thinking, his lover gets down onto his knees.

“The only thing you’ll be saying for the rest of the night is my name.”

Chanyeol isn’t even going to try to protest when Jongin has him in his mouth faster than he can count to ten.

 

Chanyeol is sad to see Jongin’s back recede over the horizon. He hasn’t left the gates ever since he came out here to bid farewell to the earth king and his entourage. The guards standing at the post probably think he’s a little nuts, but none of them speak ill of their prince.

His birthday went by faster than he would have liked, but at least he had Jongin with him to enjoy the entire day. They made a lot of memories together which he can hold onto and replay in his head over and over until they meet again.

“Your Grace, the King requests your presence in the throne room immediately.”

Chanyeol knows he shouldn’t test his father’s patience, so he salutes to the tiny figures in the distance before dashing off. He doesn’t have time to wonder what his father wants when he arrives and sees two men standing off to the side, both dressed in silver robes. He recognizes the elder as the air king and assumes the young man next to him to be his son. They share similar stern expressions on their faces.

“My son, I’m sure you know by now why I have asked you to come here today,” his father starts, and he spaces out after the announcement of an engagement. This isn’t how his life was supposed to go at all. Everything is going downhill faster than he’s prepared for.

No man should be forced to face so much adversary in such a short period of time.

“Prince Sehun will be living with us from now on. We want you two to get along.”

He takes everything in stride and nods to appease the two kings in the room, barely listening to whatever either of them have to say before he’s dismissed with Sehun in toll.

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t like you either,” Sehun whispers as he strolls on by.


	3. Chapter 3

Chanyeol and Sehun butt heads. They’re curt with one another, but everyone around them sees this behavior as initial reservations. Eventually the couple will warm up to each other and their relationship will blossom from that point on, people say.

Chanyeol likes to move around, talk until his jaw hurts, and act like an overall fool while Sehun likes to stay still, keep quiet, and be on his best behavior. There is no way for these two polar opposites to get along when Chanyeol is always up for a round of tennis, and Sehun just wants to read.

He has tried to break through the boy’s shell, but it’s impossible to make a crack. The boy is dense and refuses to go along with any of his ideas. When they’re around others, the boy will pretend to be all over the fire prince by clinging onto his arm and whispering snide remarks in his ear. The only thing he can do is smile until they’re finally alone and then thwack the boy on the head.

The only reprieve Chanyeol gets is in the form of Jongin. He feels selfish and annoying for complaining about Sehun to him every time he visits, but Jongin tells him it’s fine to vent. After a couple minutes of drawn out sighs and misery, Jongin helps him relax and they cuddle in bed until he has to go. Nowadays, his visits aren’t as long as they used to be, but Chanyeol understands completely, or at least he tries to. Jongin has entered a new chapter in his life, leaving Chanyeol to straggle behind.

“Maybe you should try harder to get on his good side,” Jongin says one night.

“Why are you saying this all of a sudden? All these weeks you’ve been fine with me giving him the cold shoulder and now…” Chanyeol rolls onto his side, facing Jongin. He tries to see if the latter is lying, but all he finds is sincerity behind those eyes.

Jongin shrugs and carefully traces the contours of Chanyeol’s face, lingering on his lips and leaning forward to kiss them.

“If you two are going to get married, might as well be amicable.”

Chanyeol wrinkles his nose. He feels uneasy having Jongin encourage him to try to make things work with Sehun. It’s as if his lover has finally lost hope in their relationship.

“Something is wrong, I can tell,” he starts and inhales a deep breath. “Are you over this, us?”

Jongin’s eyes go wide and he shakes his head, clinging onto Chanyeol tightly and burying his face in Chanyeol’s chest. He can’t believe his ears. How could his lover ever doubt him for a second? Of all the things in the world, he is certain that he loves Chanyeol and always will. It stings that uncertainty crossed the man’s mind.

“No! I’m in love with the world’ biggest idiot, but I hate him for ever thinking that’d I’d ever let him go,” Jongin mumbles. “But there is something I’ve been keeping away from him for awhile now.”

Chanyeol had felt ease when Jongin reassured him all was well in their relationship, but now he wants the floor to open up and eat him alive. He can’t begin to imagine what Jongin has kept from him all this time.

“W-what is it?” he asks, preparing himself for the worst.

“Joonmyun and I are going to have a baby,” Jongin announces.

“Out,” Chanyeol commands without thinking, drawing the covers away from Jongin and waiting for him to get dressed.

Jongin stays instead of getting up to leave immediately because he’s sure Chanyeol is only overreacting, but the man’s glare is unrelenting, and he crawls away in defeat. He feels dirty having Chanyeol watch him like this, so he forgoes the shirt and teleports back home.

The atmosphere is tense the next day. Chanyeol isn’t his jubilant self as he goes about his business and everyone knows to let him be, even Sehun isn’t stupid enough to bother him. He knows brooding won’t get him anywhere, but it’s the only way he knows how to deal with terrible hand fate has dealt him.

His father forces him to get over his fit a few days later by making him walk around the gardens with Sehun. “It’ll help you clear your head and get to know Sehun a little more.”

Chanyeol is less than pleased having Sehun follow him around with a servant tailing them in case they need anything along the way. He wants to be alone and figure out why Jongin betrayed him, but neither is possible with people around him. What makes the entire situation worse is the sun beating down on them. He had insisted they didn’t need extra servants to carry parasols over their heads and regrets the decision immensely. The heat isn’t making his temper any better.

Sehun keeps his eyes forward as to avoid Chanyeol’s fierce gaze. He knows that he’s unwanted around here, but they both know there’s nothing he can do about it. Marriages aren’t meant to be about true love and happiness, and instead they’re for alliances and stronger relationships between kingdoms. Despite the peace treaty put into place a long time ago, everyone wants to gather as many allies as possible. Life is unpredictable, after all.

He wants to make the best of his time here (which is the rest of his life, really), so he needs to try to ease the tension between them. He’s fully aware Chanyeol’s current mood isn’t any of his doing, but he thinks talking about them will help distract the fire prince from whatever is on his mind.

“Hey, Chanyeol. I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I want to have a fresh start,” he says and looks up at the other hopefully.

Chanyeol glances down at Sehun with his brows raised in curiosity, his lips still pressed together in a thin line. Sehun takes this as a sign to continue.

“Well, why don’t we actually get to know each other, like your father hoped for. Maybe we’ll find out we have more things in common than we thought.”

Sehun watches birds fly overhead as he waits for an answer. They’re dainty and fragile, unlike the ones back at home. Where he’s from, the winged beasts have sharp talons and thick feather coats to help keep the cold at bay. He wants to share all of this and more with Chanyeol because even if they’ll never learn to love each other, the least they can be is good friends.

“Okay,” is all Chanyeol says and gestures for them to take the next left towards a circular folly constructed out of stone. Four pillars keep the structure upright and the benches feel welcoming to Chanyeol’s sore feet. They have been walking for little over an hour and never thought reprieve would come so soon. The pain was a good distraction from his thoughts, though.

They take a seat from across each other while the servant stands off to side with his hands folded behind his back.

Chanyeol is welcome to any new distractions because his mind has been rotting away for the past few days, but he can’t imagine why Sehun has had a change of heart. They both seemed content with the way things were going between them, and he assumed that’s just how they would proceed with their relationship until one of them dropped dead. It isn’t uncommon for married couples to be cold, but amicable with one another.

“Did my father put you up to this?” he asks straight out, crossing his legs.

“No, but I can’t say he didn’t influence my actions. I don’t think it’d be for the best if we just continued on like we have been,” Sehun answers.

“Why not? My parents were an anomaly among royal couples. Most of them never love each other, and if they do, it’s all for show.”

“I’m not asking for you to love me, I just want us to get along better. Is that too much to ask for?”

Chanyeol is surprised that Sehun would ever want a friendship to be established since the air prince seemed to prefer books over people. He shouldn’t have made assumptions, he supposes, because he’s pretty sure Sehun thinks all sorts of negative things about him in return.

“Fair enough. I don’t know where to begin. It’s been so long since I’ve made a friend.” The last one being Jongin. After they had met, the young prince was all Chanyeol ever needed in his life. He never bothered to get close to anyone else.

“I’ll tell you what I like, and you can do the same. Just little things for now. I don’t need you to tell me that you piss out the windows whenever you feel like the chamber pot is too far away.”

Chanyeol scoffs, but deep inside he’s grateful for the jest. He forgets about his problems for awhile as he listens to Sehun talk about his love for bread pudding and distaste towards diplomats because they’re _filled with bullshit_. Sehun seems like a decent person when he talks about his life growing up on the frigid mountains. Snow is a pain in the ass when it piles up several feet high in front of the castle doors, and there’s never enough food to sate his appetite. The air prince blames the lack of food on his father’s laziness to bring in more teleporters in who can transport more goods into their kingdom.

“I’m glad to be here. The sun is always shining and plenty of livestock grazing on the grass, but I guess it’s nothing compared to the water kingdom’s lands. I’ve heard they have lush gardens filled with every kind of flower known to man, and the trees grow as high as towers.”

Chanyeol nods in agreement and loses himself in their conversation. It’s remarkable how easy it is for him to talk with Sehun. Only a couple hours ago, he wouldn’t have believed they could discuss the correct way to get drunk without wringing each other’s throats.

They don’t become friends as quickly as Chanyeol did with Jongin, but nonetheless, their progression from nearly strangers to companions is steady. As the weeks go by, Chanyeol finds Sehun to be more tolerable. He struggles with the fact that Sehun is quite the brat, though, whenever they’re hanging out together. The young man isn’t afraid to whine and huff at all times of the day over anything and everything. It’s quite irritating, but things could be worse.

 

Jongin hasn’t visited ever since Chanyeol had kicked him out of his room, but the young prince does leave notes behind for him to find. They’re mostly filled with little updates on his life and asks Chanyeol how he’s doing even though Chanyeol never leaves a note in return. He still isn’t over the fact that Jongin is going to have a baby. Building a family with Joonmyun can only mean Jongin is growing quite fond of the man. With Jongin never around anymore, it makes Chanyeol believe he’s slowly losing the man he loves. The notes make no sense to him, but gives him hope that Jongin might still love him back because why bother popping in and wasting energy on someone you don’t care for?

Despite everything, it doesn’t change the fact that Chanyeol misses Jongin dearly and wishes for him to come back to his life. Pieces of paper aren’t enough to keep him sane.

After an entire two months and a half of not having Jongin around, Chanyeol realizes Jongin won’t be stopping by for his normal visits anymore. The notes don’t stop, though, so he decides to write back, asking about them. Jongin never directly answers him which drives him insane.

 

When Chanyeol’s father announces the impending birth of Jongin and Joonmyun’s child, he isn’t surprised his father is sending him back to the Kingdom of Earth. The first visit was to stop him from loving Jongin, and this one will ensure the flame dies out between them. Chanyeol always thought their love could tackle anything life threw at them, but the past few weeks were a testament for the exact opposite.

He sighs heavily as he wonders what it will be like to see Jongin after so long. They left things on a bad note and never have they left a fight to fester away. This is new territory for them and Chanyeol is scared for what the future may hold. With the way fate has played them, it won’t be hard to figure out what is supposed to happen next in the grand scheme of things. He hopes he’s wrong, though. Love triumphs all — or at least that’s what the stories tell him.

 

Chanyeol is rummaging through his room one day as he tries to figure out if he has everything he needs for the trip to Terra when he happens upon a medium-sized wooden box with intricate engravings on each side. He traces every line and curve with his fingers, wondering what could possibly be inside. He takes it over to his bed where he plops down on his stomach, and his eyes widen in surprise when they spot a silver circlet inside which could only fit on a child’ head.

It takes him a moment to remember that his father had given this to him back when he was only a little boy who still believed an evil fairy would yank all his teeth out at night. He was ecstatic to show the circlet to Jongin when the boy arrived during his weekly visit and even posed in it before offering it to his friend to try on. The other boy was hesitant since this was a gift specifically for Chanyeol, but eventually gave in to his friend’s insistence.

“You look really pretty with it on. I want you to keep it,” Chanyeol said out of the blue, clapping his hands together in delight.

Jongin shook his head and quickly removed the circlet from his head, placing it back into the wooden box. He could never accept anything like this without feeling guilty.

“How about this… I’ll give it to you when we get married!” Chanyeol exclaimed. He knew adults gave gifts to their spouses, so this seemed like the perfect situation to hand over the circlet.

Jongin’s eyes widened and cheeks reddened. He was too young to even think about marriage, but the thought of spending the rest of his life with his best friend didn’t seem bad at all. They would be able to play all the time without any hindrances and live in a big castle together where the world would be their oyster.

“A-alright,” he mumbled.

Chanyeol threw his arms around the shorter male and squeezed him tightly. He couldn’t wait to marry Jongin even though they weren’t even ten years old at the time. His feelings were not of the romantic sort, but they were strong nonetheless because Jongin was the bestest friend anyone could ask for. He considered himself lucky that Jongin even gave him the time of day.

“What’s that you got there?” Sehun asks. Chanyeol hadn’t realized the young man snuck into his room.

“Nothing important,” he mutters, rolling off the bed and trying to figure out where to hide the box. The sooner it’s stored away, the sooner he can forget about the childish promises that would never see the light of day.

“If it’s nothing, let me see,” Sehun insists as he tries to snatch the box.

Chanyeol is glad he has a slight height advantage over Sehun and holds the box over their heads. The latter huffs and rolls his eyes.

“Come on! Either tell me what it is, or I’ll throw a shit storm in here.”

Chanyeol feels a sudden breeze grazing his arm, shivers shooting up his spine. He isn’t prepared to see his room get destroyed by a tornado, so he gives in to the brat’s demand. It baffles him how Jongin and Sehun are the same age, yet one of them acts like they’re still nursing.

“I never got the chance to give it to him,” he explains as he appeases Sehun’s curiosity.

“Him? So you do like men. I guess it’s only me that you’re repulsed by.” Sehun shrugs and sits down on the bench.

“If only your personality wasn’t so sour, then I would promote you to troll status. It’s a level above cockroach.”

Sehun scoffs.

 

Chanyeol is uneasy as he and his party head for Terra. Him and Jongin have not made up yet, so he’s afraid to see how they will act around one another. This visit will be a one-eighty compared to the last one. When he sees the high walls surrounding the city from afar, he doesn’t spur his steed forth. He follows behind the guards with his shoulders slumped and head down.

Everyone begins to chatter about how adorable the royal baby must be as they near their destination. Chanyeol is annoyed and prompts Sehun to tell him a story in order to drown out the unwanted conversation around him. He doesn’t want to hear about who the father might be and what powers the child might have when he grows up. All he wants to do is turn back around, and let the vultures in the desert devour him.

To no one’s surprise, the streets are alive just like they were on the day of Jongin and Joonmyun’s wedding. It has been awhile since a royal child has been born, so everyone in the city is delighted even though they will never see the boy until he grows older.

Chanyeol wants to be happy, he really does, but the fact that Jongin fucked another person has his stomach churning. He makes a quick pit stop outside of the castle to dry heave.

“Welcome, my gracious guests! We have been awaiting your arrival and are glad to see you have made it here in one piece,” the earth king greets them in the courtyard.

Jongin is nowhere to be seen among the crowd of people gathered to welcome Chanyeol’s party. Chanyeol is thankful he doesn’t have to face him just yet, but he isn’t sure if all the time in the world will prepare him for the inevitable.

Everyone is ushered inside of the main entrance where servants help to unload and bring trunks into the guests respective rooms. Chanyeol allows himself to be brought into the biggest guest room and accepts the glass of water he’s offered. This place feels so cold now.

Dinner that night is stiff. Chanyeol sits at the head of the table with Jongin nearby, but they barely glance at one another. They keep their eyes on their food and take small bites. The conversation is taken over by the earth king and Sehun. Despite the air prince’s tendency to sound like an idiot half the time, he carries himself well around their host. Chanyeol is thankful for this because everyone forgets about him.

Within the next day, a celebration is held for the whore who gave birth to the royal baby. She is treated like a queen with the entire house as a slave for her pleasure and whims. It amuses Chanyeol to watch everyone bend over backwards for a woman who would usually be at the bottom of the hierarchy. She is dressed in the finest silks and chiffons, versus the usual taters of clothing, as she basks in all the attention. A choir and orchestra are brought in, performing musical pieces in the atrium for their fair lady. The chefs and kitchen hands have been slaving away to churn out the finest desserts, from simple baked custards to scrumptious chocolate mousses, to make sure the woman is well-fed. The assortment of foods laid out in the dining hall could feed an entire army and then some. If Chanyeol didn’t know any better, he would think the castle was celebrating someone’s birthday.

As the woman has her fun for the day, Chanyeol contemplates asking the woman who impregnated her because then he’ll know who the father of the blessed child is. He wants to know the answer to stop the demons eating him from the inside out, but at the same time, he has learned to never ask a question he doesn’t want to hear the answer to. There is a fifty-fifty chance Jongin is indeed the father, and Chanyeol isn’t sure how he will react. It would be absurd of him to have a fit, especially in someone else’s home.

“What’s on your mind?” Sehun pesters him as they watch the whore parade down towards the main streets of Terra.

“Nothing,” Chanyeol replies, resting against the shrubbery outside of the castle.

“I always knew your head was hollow,” Sehun grumbles and conks Chanyeol on the head as if to prove his point.

As the day wears on, Chanyeol watches the woman’s expression darken. Soon she will be thrust back into the rat hole where all the whores stay. Her day of glory will die as fast as it had come to be. No one will remember who she is, and she will never get to interact with her son. It’s a sad story the poets will never write about.

A few days later, the castle is alive with excitement as guests line outside of the royal nursery to catch a glimpse of the Prince. Chanyeol is obligated to join the giddy crowd and feels unnerved the closer he moves towards the front. He hasn’t stopped thinking about who the father of the child may be, and beyond those double doors may be the answer to all his problems. He becomes more fidgety when he and Sehun are next to see the baby and give him their blessings. How can Chanyeol wish this baby boy good health and prosperity when he already despises him?

“We don’t have to stay for long, you know. Just smile, mumble a few words, and then excuse yourself,” Sehun whispers as they’re led inside of the nursery.

Towards the back of room sits Jongin and Joonmyun with their baby resting in the latter’s arms. They look like a very happy and handsome couple from afar.

Chanyeol avoids making direct eye contact with Jongin, keeping his eyes on the carpeted floor and then the portraits on the walls when Sehun elbows him. He allows Sehun to do most of the talking and only chimes in when he hears his name.

“Can I hold him?” he hears Sehun asks after a few minutes of small talk.

“Of course! Just be careful because Minseok is a light sleeper.”

Chanyeol takes a few steps back from Sehun and pretends to be interested on the only tapestry hanging on the wall.

“You can hold him, too, if you’d like,” Joonmyun says from behind.

“No, thank you. I’m clumsy with children,” Chanyeol lies, sort of. He has never handled a child in his life, so he wouldn’t know he’d fare with someone half his size. He always hoped he’d figure the answer out with Jongin one day.

Joonmyun hums as he steps closer to the piece of art, running his fingers over the woven thread.

“This depicts the signing of the peace treaty. Over here you can see —”

“I have something to attend to,” Chanyeol cuts in. “Let’s go, Sehun.”

He gives the air prince a pointed look when he doesn’t relinquish the baby immediately back to Jongin. As they head on out, faster than they had walked in, Chanyeol feels eyes burning into the back of his head. He can’t turn around or else he’ll do something he’ll surely regret.

 

There are only a few days left until Chanyeol departs for home, and he has yet to confront Jongin about them and the state of their relationship. He continues to tiptoe around the young prince whenever they are within close vicinity of one another. Jongin doesn’t seem bothered by this at all, which compels Chanyeol to keep their rigid and cold dance going. Everyone comments on how distant the two friends have become compared to their last visit, and Chanyeol has to lie every time someone brings the question up.

He thinks they will never patch things up nor figure out what lies ahead for them as a couple, so it catches him off guard when he receives an invitation from Jongin to speak with him in his private chambers.

The room smells strongly of incense and the curtains are drawn despite the fact it’s the middle of the day. A fire is burning brightly in the hearth, casting shadows across Jongin’s figure by the baby’s bassinet. Minseok sleeps soundly under the many layers of blankets.

No one says a word for the first couple minutes as the fire crackles in the background, a gentle reminder of the heavy silence building between them.

Chanyeol remains by the doorway, arms folded over his chest. He can’t bear the thought of staring down at the child head on and directing all of his hatred towards the innocent babe. The poor thing has done nothing to garner such animosity.

“Minseok is a nice name. Is that a family name?” Chanyeol mutters.

“Joonmyun named him after his grandfather,” Jongin answers, longing for Chanyeol to come gather him in his arms. He misses his lover’s warm embrace, booming voice, and teasing smiles. It has been way too long since their last night together. The days leading up to this moment were spent wondering how they would make up, but a joyful reunion seems to be out of the question with the way Chanyeol has been acting ever since he stepped foot into the castle. Jongin is too much of a coward to make the first because it has always been the elder to take the lead. They were always so content with the way their relationship operated, and now there might be nothing left between them anymore.

Chanyeol glances over at Jongin just in time to see the man caress Minseok’s face with the back of his hand. It makes his heart flutter. He always knew Jongin would make a great, caring father and it kills him to know they will never raise a child together. Despite the gut wrenching feeling in the pit of his stomach, he asks another question.

“What kind of powers do you think he’ll have once he grows up?”

Jongin looks genuinely surprised, and Chanyeol has to fight the urge to kiss the confusion off his face. It takes the young prince a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.

“I don’t know, and quite frankly, I don’t care. I just want Minseok to grow up healthy and happy,” Jongin says, mostly to himself.

Chanyeol understands Jongin’s position completely. They live in a time where all the kingdoms are living in harmony. There hasn’t been a major war in decades, and if the trend continues on, children won’t have a need to learn how to fight from a young age. They can grow up carefree without any burdens on their shoulders.

Chanyeol hopes he can be a fair and peaceful king when it comes time for him to take the throne, so that no one has to wonder if their son has survived the latest battle. He knows for a fact Jongin will succeed in leading his people towards a better tomorrow. Even with his ill feelings towards Joonmyun, he knows the water prince will be able to help Jongin with his mission.

“Minseok is going to be the most blessed and merry child in all the lands. He’s lucky to have you as his father.” Chanyeol manages to keep the venom out of his tone.

“Chanyeol… I’m not —”

The fire prince brings up a hand to silence Jongin. He doesn’t need to know anything more about the parentage of the baby. Life has already rained on his parade long enough, there’s no need to soil it any further.

“I’m happy for you, Jongin, I really am. I know I haven’t been the most supportive as of late, but I just need you to know that...,” Chanyeol begins, trying his best to keep his voice steady. “I'll always love you no matter what, even if you stomp on my heart, grind it into dust, and scatter my remains to the four corners of the earth, because you're the fire that keeps me alive”

Chanyeol swallows thickly as he looks over directly at Jongin for the first time since the beginning of this visit. His lover still looks as beautiful as ever even with golden strands of hair sticking out of place and bottom lip quivering.

“Fuck, Chanyeol! You can’t say stuff like that when all you’ve done is avoid me like the plague. I hate you so much sometimes. Right when I think I have had enough of you and your bullshit, the happier times creep back to the forefront of my mind. Then, all I can think about is the way you make me laugh without any inhibitions and act like a fool even though I’m extremely self-conscious. You bring the best and worst out of me,” Jongin confesses. His eyes are starting to water, but he refuses to let Chanyeol see him break down.

“I-I… Jongin, I —” Chanyeol can’t find the right words to say. All this time, he’s been thinking about himself and how much he has been hurting. His selfishness prevented him from wondering how the man he loved felt about the situation. He feels like a jerk.

“Why am I in love with the world’s biggest fool?” Jongin cries out, looking up at the ceiling as if god would answer him.

Chanyeol makes a move to step forward, and Jongin is already shooing him away with a wave of his hand. He wants to defy the young prince’s wish, but the thought of worsening the resentment between them keeps him in place. One hand is already on the door, he’s prepared to leave, but not without a few last words.

“I’m so sorry, Jongin,” is all he can utter out before Jongin shouts at him to go. Minseok cries out at the sudden noise, and Chanyeol makes his escape. As he walks away from the room, he can still hear the bitterness in his lover’s voice.

This isn’t how he wanted to leave things between them, but life isn’t always a walk in the park.

 

Their party is finally going home after celebrating the birth of Prince Minseok. Packing up for the trip back is much easier because half the things they had brought with them were presents for the baby boy. It is assumed that Chanyeol will take his steed all the way back to Ignis, but the fire prince opts to sit inside of the carriage for the journey. Sehun isn’t too thrilled about this and reluctantly joins him because riding with a bunch of old men is unappealing to him.

“Are you not feeling well?” Sehun asks as he rests the back of his hand on Chanyeol’s forehead.

Chanyeol swats Sehun’s hand away and slumps deeper into his seat.

“Sheesh. What’s wrong with you? First you decide to sit inside of the carriage instead of riding your horse and now you’re acting like a moping brat,” Sehun comments, nursing his wounded hand on his lap.

The fact is that Chanyeol isn’t well at all. He hasn’t been well since his conversation with Jongin. They never got the closure they both desired. Now they’re stuck in limbo, and god knows when will they ever get to change that. He regrets not running up to Jongin and kissing him like he meant it. Instead, he left things between them a muddled mess that neither of them wanted to fix.

So much has happened to them since the wedding announcement. They promised they’d try to make things work no matter what life threw at them. Of course, they learned fighting fate isn’t such an easy task. Their love probably wasn’t strong enough to withstand the strength of the tides. Now they’re left drowning in misery and hopelessness.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” Sehun says out of nowhere.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Chanyeol questions, wondering when did Sehun become a wiseman.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same. Think about it on our ride home. It will help you understand everything going on between you and Jongin.” Sehun stares out at the landscape passing by them slowly from the tiny window of the carriage.

“How —”

Sehun presses a finger up to his lips. “More thinking, less talking.”

 

“Your Royal Majesty, we have an urgent letter from Ignis. The messenger refused to tell us what the matter was, but he did say it pertained to their king before disappearing,” a guard spits out as he proffers a folded up piece of parchment paper along with a box to Jongin.

It’s been quite awhile since Jongin’s last seen this wooden box, intricate designs carved into each of its sides. He takes the items gladly and sits down by the fireplace for better lighting. He traces the curves and flowers with a finger, frowning down at how old he’s become. His hands are wrinkled from time and the lines on his face aren’t faring any better. He isn’t as agile as he once was, and it takes him awhile to get from one room to another. Joonmyun insists he should allow the guards to aid him, but he refuses to accept the fact that six decades has worn him down immensely.

“I would like to be left alone now,” he says in a soft voice.

The sound of footsteps fade as everyone heads out of the door, but he knows he’s still not alone.

“Is there something I can help you with, Joonmyun?”

“No, I just want to make sure you’re okay,” the older man says, resting a hand atop of Jongin’s shoulder.

Jongin falls silent. They have lived together under the same roof for many decades and never has Joonmyun led Jongin to believe he knows his husband’s biggest secret. Maybe it’s the fact that the visits stopped years ago, giving Joonmyun no reason to bring it up anymore — or Joonmyun really never had a clue from the beginning. Either way, Joonmyun has been a faithful husband, it’s more than anything Jongin could ever say about himself.

“Thank you, but there’s no need to worry. Could you please close the door on your way out?”

Joonmyun hums in response and gives Jongin’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. Jongin waits for the familiar click of the door before he puts the box aside in favor of opening up the letter first. He already knows what to expect as he breaks off the bright red seal.

__

 

_My dearest Jongin,_

_I hope this letter has arrived safely into your hands. I’m not sure how to start off this letter since my tutors never taught me how to write a proper farewell, but I know you could care less about formalities. That’s one of the things I love about you, you are always so tolerant and accepting. Let me stop there before I run out of space. Anyway, if you’re reading this right now, it means that I have gone to a better place. It pains me that I never got to grow old with you. Ever since we met, I knew that I wanted you by my side for the rest of my life. Isn’t it funny how things turned out? You already know how much I love you and will continue doing so in the next life. On top of that, I want you to know my biggest regret was never fighting hard enough for us. If only I wasn’t such a coward, I would have been able to spend my dying moments with you. Please don’t be too angry at me because it’s bad to think ill of the dead!_

_This is my final farewell to you, my love. I look forward to reuniting with you one day, whenever that may be. I’ll be patient this time and promise to love you right._

_Your fool,  
Chanyeol_

 

Tears streak down Jongin’s face, blurring his vision. He lets the paper fall to the floor as he holds onto the arms of the chair for support. Everything hurts so much. He tries to keep himself together so the guards won’t rush in to see what’s wrong. He needs to be alone, not by choice anymore.

The box is long forgotten until the crying subsides and his breathing is steady. He wants to knock the damn thing over, but it’s the last thing he has to hold onto, the last thing he has of Chanyeol. When he opens it up, there’s another note resting inside.

  


_I never got the chance to give this to you, so I want you to pass it onto Minseok._  
_Even though I never saw the boy grow up, I have heard he is full of life and brings_  
_smiles to everyone he meets. He reminds me a lot of myself, and I hope he can_  
_bestow this upon the man — or woman — he marries when the time is right. Don’t_  
_think I forgot about you! I have left to you, the ring my father gave to me on my 25th_  
_birthday. It was from my mother. He said it symbolized their love and happiness,_  
_and now it will symbolize ours. I hope you wear it and think of me always._

 

With a shaky hand, Jongin picks up the silver circlet he remembers from his childhood. Chanyeol wanted him to have it, but Jongin was too modest. He always hoped he’d have it in his possession some other day, and sadly, it is under somber circumstances the circlet is here.

Jongin runs his fingertips carefully over the circlet, imagining what it would have been like to wear this the day he would have married Chanyeol. They would have been too happy the moment the priest said ‘you may now kiss the groom’ and knocked their noses when they swooped in for the kiss. The thought of laughing at their little mishap together as they walk down the aisle warms Jongin’s heart.

It’s a shame he never got to hear Chanyeol howl as he teared up and clutches his stomach, the sound of angels singing.

He places down the circlet back into the box and picks up the ring, sliding the band onto his ring finger. He holds it up to the light and smiles wearily.

In the midst of his overwhelming emotions, Jongin makes the brash decision to visit his love one last time. He isn’t as young as he used to be, so teleporting is a much more daunting task. He closes his eyes and focuses all of his energy on Chanyeol.

The next time he opens his eyes, he’s standing hunched over in the middle of the royal chambers in Ignis. His joints creak as he tries to straighten out his back and squints his eyes for a better look around the room. Before he can take two steps towards the bedchambers, guards surround him with their swords brandished.

“Intruder! State your name and where you hail from.”

Jongin’s heart is racing, and he feels like he’s about to faint from the sudden turn of events.

“Oh dear god,” he mutters, falling onto his knees.

“Don’t play around, geezer. We’re unsympathetic and will kill you on the spot if you don’t state your name at once.”

“What the hell is going on here!?” someone squawks as they demand the guards to part ways for him.

The curse of time has weathered Sehun’s face immensely, liver spots marking his once flawless face. It’s been decades since they have laid eyes on each other, but Jongin can still recognize the air prince.

“For heaven’s sake, that is King Jongin! You all should be ashamed of yourselves for nearly starting another war. After an entire century of peace, you dare to interrupt the balance between the kingdoms.” Sehun glares at all the men gathered around them and tells them to put away their weapons. “Now leave before I have you all burned to a crisp.”

Within seconds, the room is vacated except for the two kings.

“Do I even have to ask what brings you here?” Sehun states as he helps Jongin up onto his feet, leading him to the nearest seat.

“Chanyeol… is he really —”

“Dead, yes. Long live the King,” Sehun mumbles. He looks so put together, but Jongin knows better. Sehun and Chanyeol may not have been lovers, but they developed a strong friendship over the years, so Jongin can’t blame the man for hurting.

“Can I see him before he’s buried?” Jongin asks, afraid to meet Sehun’s eyes. Every kingdom has their own way of burying their royalty, especially the kings. He never learned the specifics as a child, but he knows some people are lowered down into their tombs soon after death takes them away.

“Of course you can. He knew you would come, so he always told me to wait until you had your last goodbye before the burial ceremony commences.” Sehun gestures for Jongin to follow him over to the bedchambers towards the back of the room, prying open the grand doors and lowering his head.

“Take your time and knock twice when you’re ready to go.”

Jongin smiles softly at Sehun as he passes into the threshold and holds his breath. Chanyeol looks so peaceful lying on his bed, sheets brought up to his shoulders. From the looks of it, he’s still wearing his sleeping robes. Not a hair is out of place, yet Jongin absentmindedly pushes back his lover’s bangs over and over again away from his face.

“Why did things have to end this way, Chanyeol?” he whispers as his free hand traces the contours of the fire king’s face. His skin is cold to the touch, but Jongin can’t get enough. This will be the last time he will ever lay his eyes on this angel sent from heaven.

Jongin finds himself crying again and this time he doesn’t have to go through the motions alone. He throws himself against Chanyeol, pressing his face against the man’s bony shoulder and clutching onto the thin nightgown.

“I promise I’ll never let you slip away a second time when we meet again. I love you so much, and I hope you’re back home. I’ll be there soon, my dear.”


End file.
